Bela Karolyi, gymnastics coach who mentored Nadia and Mary Lou and courted controversy, dies at 82

Bela Karolyi, a renowned gymnastics coach who trained Olympic champions such as Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, has passed away at the age of 82. Karolyi and his wife Martha defected to the U.S. in 1981 and played a significant role in shaping American gymnastics, despite facing controversy throughout their career. His coaching helped secure gold medals for athletes like Retton in the 1984 Olympics and Kerri Strug in the 1996 Games.

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