Bela Karolyi, best known for training women’s gymnastics legends Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, died at the age of 82 on Friday. No cause of death was given.
A legendary gymnastics coach died Friday, according to USA Gymnastics.
Bela Karolyi, best known for training legends Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, died at 82.
No cause of death was given.
Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Comaneci and Retton.
“A big impact and influence on my life”, Comaneci, just 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted on Instagram.
The Karolyis defected to the United States in 1981 and, over the next 30-plus years, became a guiding force in American gymnastics, though not without controversy. Bela helped guide a 16-year-old Retton to the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and memorably helped an injured Kerri Strug off the floor at the 1996 Games in Atlanta after Strug’s vault secured the team gold for the Americans.
