Béla Károlyi, former gymnastics coach who trained Olympic champions, dies aged 82

Béla Károlyi, the gymnastics coach who rose to prominence training Olympic all-around champions Nadia Comăneci and Mary Lou Retton, has died at age 82, USA Gymnastics said in a statement Saturday night.

The sport’s governing body in the United States said Károlyi died Friday, although the cause of death was not immediately clear.

Károlyi and his wife, Márta, rose to the top of the American gymnastics scene in the late 1980s and early 90s by training several gymnasts to international success, but saw their reputations quickly fall apart, as they faced accusations of abusing athletes in the middle of the throat and tension-filled pursuit of victory.

After retiring from coaching in 1996, the pair expanded their influence over USA Gymnastics when Béla Károlyi was named the organization’s first national team coordinator in 1999. Marta Károlyi assumed the role in 2001 and remained in the position until 2016. Her tenure overlapped with the hiring of Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar, a national team doctor who sexually assaulted over 150 women and girls, in part while working as a doctor at a Texas gym owned and operated by the Karolyis.

Károlyis denied knowledge of the abuse. In 2018, USA Gymnastics cut ribbon with the training center, known as Karolyi Ranch, where cases of abuse occurred.

Károlyis himself also faced criticism from athletes, including 1996 Olympic gold medalist Dominic Moceanu and former Romanian gymnast Gabriela Geiculescu, for restricting food intake, forcing athletes to train while injured and cultivating an emotionally abusive environment.

Several prominent gymnasts shared posts about Károlyi’s passing, including Comăneci, three-time Olympic gold medalist Svetlana Boginskaya and Moceanu.

“Anyone who has followed my story knows that my journey under Bela’s guidance as my coach came with enormous challenges,” Moceanu said. “His harsh words and critical behavior often weighed on me. While our relationship was fraught with difficulties, some of these difficult moments helped me create and define my own path.”

Before defecting to the United States in 1981, Bela, originally from Kolozsvár, Hungary (now Cluj-Napoca, Romania), coached the Romanian team, including Comăneci, the first gymnast to receive a perfect 10 in the Olympic Games under the old scoring system . .

Together with Marta, he began training at a private gymnastics club in Houston shortly after their move. He coached a parade of famous gymnasts, including Kim Zmeskal, the first American woman to win gold in the all-around at a world championship, and Julianne McNamara, the 1984 Olympic uneven bars champion.

But perhaps the most famous image of Károlyi came during the 1996 Games, when he held Kerri Strug in his arms after she jumped on an injured ankle and landed on one foot in Atlanta to secure America’s first Olympic team gold in women’s gymnastics.

(Photo: David Madison/Getty Images)