If they can substantiate these allegations how do these two coaches become the most influential in American women’s gymnastics?
Gymnasts say Martha Karolyi runs the U.S. program with the same dictatorial tactics the couple used in building the Romanian dynasty in the 1970s.
“Martha Karolyi thinks it’s a communist country, and she’s going to win the gold medal at any cost,” said Kim Kelly, a member of the 1991 U.S. World Championships team. “And I think it’s a shame because they don’t care how many girls they hurt to get it.”
Source: Gymnasts in pain: Out of balance
[March 25, 2007]
30 years (“better later than never”) after introducing the most cruel, brutal and abusive, Soviet-inspired gymnastics training system in Romania, Bela Karolyi and wife Martha got the “deserved” recognition: “The Platinum Cactus Award” from the most popular webiste (Google) about Romanian gymnastics: www.romanian-gymnastics.com.
We wanted to be the firsts to “honor” Karolyi’s achievements in Romanian gymnastics, after he complained in an interview for a Bucharest tabloid that he never got an Award in Romania.
This first announced special platinum Award is unique because Karolyis were, for a decade, a unique pair of coaches: their “training” methods and children’s food deprivation exceeds by far those from Nazi concentration camps and will be included one day into the Black Book of Gymnastics.
Unfortunately, 30 years later, Bela Karolyi’s “legacy” in Romania still produce victims, many young coaches, money-and-glory-hungry , using same “old and proven good” methods. We can not have a real change and progress in Romanian gymnastics, before we know the truth about the past; actually, most people (including journalists and former gymnasts) knows the truth but are afraid to speak or prefer to profit form the system rather than to fight against it.
Source: Cactus Award for Bela Karolyi and wife Martha
Related:The Wall of Shame:
Romanian gymnastics abusive coaches
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