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,

Nadia Comaneci, one of the most iconic gymnasts of all time, reflected on the profound impact of her legendary coach Bela Karolyi following his death at the age of 82. Karolyi, who helped Comaneci achieve groundbreaking success at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, passed away on Friday, USA Gymnastics announced, via ESPN. No cause of death was disclosed.

Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the US and Romania, including Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.