Bela Karolyi Dies at 82; Former USA Gymnastics Coach Led 9 Olympic Gold Medalists
November 17, 2024
Former American and Romanian gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi died on Friday at age 82, according to USA Gymnastics.
Karolyi and his wife, Martha Karolyi, coached nine Olympic gold medalists over 30 years. They also faced multiple lawsuits filed by former athletes before and after the 2017 conviction of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for sexual abuse.
Nadia Comăneci, who trained under Karolyi and won five gold Olympic medals for Romania, called the former coach "a big impact and influence in my life" in a tribute post on Instagram.
Dominique Moceanu, a member of the "Magnificent Seven" team that won gold for the U.S. during the 1996 Atlanta Games, also addressed Karolyi's death in a statement on social media.
Dominique Moceanu @DmoceanuBela Karolyi was a man whose influence on my life and the sport of elite gymnastics is undeniably significant. He was a complex individual, embodying a mix of strengths and flaws that left a lasting impact on those around him.<br><br>Anyone who has followed my story knows that my…
After Bela Karolyi made his Olympic coaching debut with the Romanian national team during the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Bela and Martha Karolyi defected to the United States in 1981.
Bela and Martha Karolyi went on to coach USA Gymnastics Hall of Famers including Moceanu, Julianna McNamara, Phoebe Mills, Betty Okino, Kristie Phillips, Kerri Strug, Mary Lou Retton, and Kim Zmeskal, according to the Hall of Fame.
Bela Karolyi served as Retton's coach when she became the first American woman to claim the Olympic all-around title at age 16 in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He also coached USA Gymnastics to team gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
During their three-decade coaching career, Bela and Martha Karolyi coached 15 gymnasts to world titles, 12 to European titles and six to U.S. national championships.
Bela Karolyi was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. He and Martha Karolyi were inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2000 as a coaching team.
While serving as the women's national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics from 1999 to 2001, Karolyi centralized the program at a training facility in Texas.
The site served as the U.S. Women's National Team Training Center until 2018, when USA Gymnastics cut ties with the facility after multiple gymnasts reported Nassar's abuse taking place there.