The legendary gymnastics coach passed away on Friday, according to USA Gymnastics.
Bela Karolyi, known as training legend Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, has died at the age of 82.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Karolyi and his wife Martha coached multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions, including Comaneci and Retton, in the United States and Romania.
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“He had a huge impact and influence on my life,” said Comaneci, who was just 14 years old when he won gold with Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics under Karolyi's tutelage. Post to Instagram.
Romania's Nadia Comaneci (center) and Soviet Union's Nelly Kim (right) received a perfect score of 10 at the 1976 Olympics. Comaneci defeated Kim in the individual all-around final. (Getty Images)
The Karolyi family defected to the United States in 1981 and became a guiding force in USA Gymnastics over the next three decades, though not without controversy. Berra guided the 16-year-old Retton to the Olympic individual all-around title at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and at the 1996 Atlanta Games, where Strug's vault won the team gold medal for the United States before an injured Kelly Strug's floor. I remember helping him fall from a fall. .
Karolyi briefly served as national team coordinator for the USA Gymnastics Women's Elite Program in 1999, implementing a semi-intensive system that would eventually turn the Americans into the sport's gold standard. It didn't come without a price. After the 2000 Olympics, he was ousted after several athletes spoke out about his tactics.
American gymnast Mary Lou Retton performs in the 1980s. (Robert Riger/Getty Images)
This won't be the last time Karolyi will be accused of physically and mentally straining his players in the grandstands.
Flashback: US Olympic gymnast slams Nassar investigation, claims FBI 'turned a blind eye', false report
In the late 2010s, at the height of the Larry Nassar scandal, more than a dozen former gymnasts came forward and accused Karolyi of creating a culture that allowed Nassar's actions to go unchecked for years. claimed to be part of.
Nassar, USA Gymnastics' disgraced team doctor, was effectively sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to manually sexually assaulting gymnasts and other athletes under the guise of medical treatment.
of Ministry of Justice agreed in April to pay $138.7 million to settle 139 lawsuits brought by people who accused the FBI of mishandling sexual assault allegations against Nassar in 2015 and 2016.
Nassar worked at Michigan State University and was a team doctor at USA Gymnastics in Indianapolis. Including several current and former athletes Simone BilesMcKayla Maroney, Aly Riseman, and Maggie Nichols testified in a 2021 Senate hearing that the FBI failed to act on complaints against him.
On February 5, 2018, in Eaton County Circuit Court in Charlotte, Michigan, former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics star Dr. Larry Nassar appears for final sentencing. (Lena Laverty/AFP via Getty Images)
michigan state university Agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women who were assaulted. USA Gymnastics and the United States Paralympic Committee have agreed to a $380 million settlement.
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All told, $1 billion has been set aside by various organizations to compensate Nassar's victims.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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