Gymnastics coach who trained Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton and who was linked to Nassar scandal dies at 82

A legendary gymnastics coach died Friday, according to USA Gymnastics.

Bela Karolyi, champion known for grooming legends Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, died astatine 82.

No origin of decease was given.

Karolyi and woman Martha trained aggregate Olympic golden medalists and satellite champions successful the U.S. and Romania, including Comaneci and Retton.

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"A large interaction and power connected my life," Comaneci, conscionable 14 erstwhile Karolyi coached her to golden for Romania astatine the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted connected Instagram.

Romanian Nadia Comaneci, center, and Soviet Nellie Kim, right, were awarded cleanable 10 scores during the 1976 Olympics. Comaneci bested Kim successful the all-around final. (Getty Images)

The Karolyis defected to the United States successful 1981 and, implicit the adjacent 30-plus years, became a guiding unit successful American gymnastics, though not without controversy. Bela helped usher a 16-year-old Retton to the Olympic all-around rubric astatine the 1984 Games successful Los Angeles and memorably helped an injured Kerri Strug disconnected the level astatine the 1996 Games successful Atlanta aft Strug’s vault secured the squad golden for the Americans.

Karolyi concisely became the nationalist squad coordinator for the USA Gymnastics women’s elite programme successful 1999 and incorporated a semi-centralized strategy that yet turned the Americans into the sport’s golden standard. It did not travel without a cost. He was pushed retired aft the 2000 Olympics aft respective athletes spoke retired astir his tactics.

U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton performs successful the 1980s. (Robert Riger/Getty Images)

It would not beryllium the past clip Karolyi was accused of grandstanding and pushing his athletes excessively acold physically and mentally.

FLASHBACK: US OLYMPIC GYMNASTS SLAM NASSAR INVESTIGATION, ALLEGE FBI 'TURNED A BLIND EYE,' FALSIFIED REPORT

During the tallness of the Larry Nassar ungraded successful the precocious 2010s, implicit a twelve erstwhile gymnasts came guardant saying the Karolyis were portion of a strategy that created a civilization that allowed Nassar’s behaviour to tally unchecked for years. 

Nassar, USA Gymnastics' disgraced squad doctor, was efficaciously sentenced to beingness successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to sexually assaulting gymnasts and different athletes with his hands nether the guise of aesculapian treatment.

The Justice Department agreed successful April to wage $138.7 cardinal to settee 139 claims by those who accused the FBI of mishandling intersexual battle allegations against Nasar successful 2015 and 2016.

Nassar worked astatine Michigan State University and was the squad doc astatine USA Gymnastics successful Indianapolis. Several existent and erstwhile athletes, including Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, testified astatine a 2021 Senate proceeding that the FBI failed to enactment connected their complaints against him.

Former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar appears successful tribunal for his last sentencing successful Eaton County Circuit Court Feb. 5, 2018, successful Charlotte, Mich. (Rena Laverty/AFP via Getty Images)

Michigan State University agreed to wage $500 cardinal to much than 300 women who were assaulted. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Paralympic Committee agreed to a $380 cardinal settlement.

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Overall, $1 cardinal has been acceptable speech by assorted organizations to compensate Nassar’s victims.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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