Bela Karolyi, the embattled yet successful gymnastics coach who helped young women vault to the highest levels of the sport in the Olympics, has died at the age of 82, USA Gymnastics has announced.

Bela Karolyi, a controversial figure in the world of gymnastics, has trained a plethora of Olympic superstars, from Nadia Comaneci to Mary Lou Retton. Karolyi died at the age of 82 on5, 2024. Over the course of his career,

Bela Karolyi, the larger-than-life coach who led Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton to Olympic gold while revolutionizing the sport of gymnastics, only to see his legacy destroyed by allegations of abusive coaching,

Bela Karolyi and his wife Martha defected to the U.S. in 1981, and over the next 30-plus years, became a guiding force in American gymnastics, though not without controversy.

Former American and Romanian gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi died on Friday at age 82, according to USA Gymnastics. Karolyi and his wife, Martha

Legendary and controversial coach Béla Károlyi, who died on Friday, played a key role in transforming USA Gymnastics into an Olympic and international competition powerhouse, turning out superstars like Kerri Strug and Nadia Comăneci.

Bela Karolyi coached several renowned gymnasts, including Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug and Julianne McNamara. But he was known for harsh methods of training.

Bela Karolyi, the legendary and controversial Romanian American gymnastics coach who helped lead Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci and Kerri Strug to Olympic gold, has died, USA Gymnastics announced. He was 82.

Bela Karolyi and his wife, Martha, defected to the U.S. in 1981 and trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.

Karolyi and his wife, Martha, cultivated champions in Romania and the United States throughout their 30-year career. Some gymnasts said he used harsh tactics.