Bela Karolyi, a renowned yet controversial gymnastics coach known for his ability to transform young athletes into champions, has passed away at the age of 82.
USA Gymnastics announced that Karolyi died on Friday, although no specific details regarding the cause of death were provided.
Alongside his wife, Martha, Karolyi coached numerous Olympic gold medalists and world champions both in Romania and the United States, including iconic figures like Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.
Comaneci, who was just 14 years old when she triumphed under Karolyi’s mentorship at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, expressed her admiration on Instagram, calling him “a big impact and influence on my life.”
Karolyi and his wife defected to the U.S. in 1981, and over the next three decades, they became pivotal in shaping American gymnastics into a powerhouse, albeit amid various controversies. Karolyi played an instrumental role in guiding 16-year-old Retton to win the Olympic all-around title at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, and he was also notable for carrying the injured Kerri Strug off the floor at the 1996 Atlanta Games after her vault clinched gold for the U.S. team.
In 1999, he briefly assumed the role of national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics’ women’s elite program, implementing a semi-centralized training system that elevated America’s status in the sport. However, this achievement came with challenges. After several athletes voiced their concerns about his coaching methods, Karolyi was removed from his position following the 2000 Olympics.
Throughout his career, Karolyi faced multiple allegations of pushing his athletes beyond their limits, both physically and mentally. During the late 2010s, amidst the fallout from the Larry Nassar controversy—where the former USA Gymnastics doctor was sentenced to life prison after admitting to sexually assaulting gymnasts—more than a dozen former athletes claimed that the Karolyis contributed to a toxic culture in which Nassar’s actions went unpunished for years.
Despite the controversies surrounding him, many of Karolyi’s most celebrated former students remained fiercely loyal to him. When Strug married, she and Karolyi recreated the emotional moment captured in 1996 when he carried her onto the podium after an injury.