LOS ANGELES: Famed Olympic gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, who coached Nadia Comaneci to the sport’s first “Perfect 10”, has died at the age of 82, USA Gymnastics said on Saturday.

The ethnic Hungarian from Romania coached Comaneci to gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Games.

He later defected with his wife and fellow coach Marta to the United States in 1981 and coached American Mary Lou Retton to gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

“A big impact and influence in my life. RIP Bela Karolyi,” wrote Comaneci on her Instagram page, along with a black and white photo of them together in her youth.

“Almost 50 years ago he guided me to the historic performance of the First Perfect 10 in the Olympics... and that changed my life for ever,” Comaneci told USA Today of Karolyi, who died Friday.

Known as a strict disciplinarian, Karolyi was a controversial figure at times as he coached the United States team with his wife and ran a training center known as “Karolyi Ranch” in Texas.

The Karolyi couple helped shape US gymnastics teams into powerhouse squads able to dominate on the global stage.

The ranch was named the US women’s national team training center in 2001, when Marta Karolyi was named the women’s national team coordinator.

USA Gymnastics stopped using the venue in 2018 after the abuse scandal involving former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

Dominique Moceanu, who won 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold on the US team coached by Karolyi, said there were two sides to the coach.

“Bela 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,” she wrote on X.

“His harsh words and critical demeanour often weighed heavily on me. While our relationship was fraught with difficulty, some of these moments of hardship helped me forge and define my own path.

“As we bid farewell to Bela, I choose to send loving thoughts to his family and loved ones, and honor our relationship by embracing lessons learned and striving to help create a world where compassion and encouragement guide our actions. May he rest in peace.”

Karolyi was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and he was inducted along with Marta into USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2000 as a coaching team.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024