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

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,

Karolyi developed USA Gymnastics into a global force, but his legacy would be tainted by the Larry Nassar scandal

Bela Karolyi, one of the United States' most eminent gymnastics coaches alongside wife Márta, has died at age 82, a spokesperson for USA Gymnastics said Saturday evening.

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,

Béla Károlyi, the gymnastics coach who rose to prominence by training Olympic all-around champions Nadia Comăneci and Mary Lou Retton, has died at 82, USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday night. The governing body for the sport in the United States said Károlyi died on Friday, though the cause of death was not immediately clear.

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, who coached gymnasts with his wife, Martha, for 30-plus years, including Olympic all-around gold medalists Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, and whose training methods some pupils said went too far,