Bela Karoly has passed (really)

[Hatsumomo]

Welp.

 

[MLSWAG]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/11/16/bela-karolyi-usa-gymnastics-coach-dies/76368196007/?csp=chromepush

If USA Today has it wrong, I don't know what to say.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

According to Romanian media, Bela and Martha have been in the states (Huntsville) this whole time, which is news to me.

 

[RAFIKI]

A considered response from Moceanu.

 

[JaJa]

A considered response from Moceanu.

Lovely and gracious.

 

[Gymfan93]

I feel sympathy for his family. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, regardless of anything else.
No other thoughts on the matter.

 

[Big_rock_show]

Very gracious of Dominique. If she would have been harsh I wouldn’t have blamed her though.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I feel sympathy for his family. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, regardless of anything else.
No other thoughts on the matter.

It is, and if it's true he had dementia that's a complicating factor as well. This feels very fresh for me, as my gran died very recently and she had pretty advanced Alzheimers. It's emotional because you miss them, but also there's the sense of relief too, especially if they go before the disease robs them of their ability to be happy. And we at least have the comfort of knowing my gran lived a good life, unlike Bela.

I hope for relief for his blameless loved ones, because no doubt they've had a hard time.

 

[Big_rock_show]

It is, and if it's true he had dementia that's a complicating factor as well. This feels very fresh for me, as my gran died very recently and she had pretty advanced Alzheimers. It's emotional because you miss them, but also there's the sense of relief too, especially if they go before the disease robs them of their ability to be happy. And we at least have the comfort of knowing my gran lived a good life, unlike Bela.

I hope for relief for his blameless loved ones, because no doubt they've had a hard time.

So sorry for your loss!!

 

[Rich]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5926568/2024/11/16/bela-karolyi-gymnastics-coach-dies/

ny times

Béla Károlyi, former gymnastics coach who trained Olympic champions, dies at 82​

 

[JaJa]

Bela Karolyi, controversial gymnastics coach who mentored Olympic champions, dies at 82

Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned the United States into an international gymnastics power, dies at age 82.

www.latimes.com

 

[RedBirdie]

I was curious what sort of statement USAG would put out.

Hall of Fame Coach Bela Karolyi Passes Away • USA Gymnastics

USA Gymnastics has learned of the passing of hall of fame gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi on Friday, November 15. He was 82.

usagym.org

 

[phoenix7]

I was curious what sort of statement USAG would put out.

Hall of Fame Coach Bela Karolyi Passes Away • USA Gymnastics

USA Gymnastics has learned of the passing of hall of fame gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi on Friday, November 15. He was 82.

usagym.org

It's a small and sometimes quite a cosy world, gymnastics. For the coaches and officials at least.

Quite bland though. No sympathies or regrets. I suppose, yes ... he did those things

 

[RedBirdie]

Right? My initial reaction was "that's a rather sparse statement." They quite deliberately left out team medals won when he was coaching, and even the specific individual successes his athletes had. Just "he coached these great gymnasts."

And you're right, I didn't catch it originally, there's not even the standard "condolences to his loved ones."

This was always going to be a difficult needle.to thread. I suppose this is about as good as could be done.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

This was always going to be a difficult needle.to thread. I suppose this is about as good as could be done.

As someone who has some history in corporate comms, the statements you absolutely dread writing are the ones where you know that no matter which "side" you take, you're going to get grief from people who think the opposite. The only way to navigate it is to be as bland as possible - at which point you'll inevitably get criticised for that very blandness.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Right? My initial reaction was "that's a rather sparse statement." They quite deliberately left out team medals won when he was coaching, and even the specific individual successes his athletes had. Just "he coached these great gymnasts."

And you're right, I didn't catch it originally, there's not even the standard "condolences to his loved ones."

This was always going to be a difficult needle.to thread. I suppose this is about as good as could be done.

Agree. I can see why they chose the bare bones approach.

 

[Denn]

@OnlyBeansOnToast I appreciate the way you put that.

I honestly never liked the guy, even as a TV viewer in 1984, 1992, and 1996, before his abusiveness was widely discussed. On the other hand, I think that when someone who did awful things dies, if they also did some good things, too, it's okay to acknowledge them alongside the bad things. So, maybe I am glad that at least some people, like Nadia Comaneci, do have at least some fond memories. She didn't say much, and maybe that's the right thing to do, but she posted some pictures and a couple words.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

There's a famous (in the UK, anyway) sketch from an old comedy show called Not The Nine O'Clock News in which two politicians are screaming abuse at each other during an interview only for one of them to suddenly drop dead, at which point the other one immediately pivots to a heartfelt tribute about what a brilliant person he was.

 

[rlayt]

From reading the comments by people who know nothing except “”coached Nadia and Mary Lou” on social media you would think he was a great guy.

 

[Denn]

I've noticed that, too (on Facebook), and I also am shocked at how defensive some people are when people express their disappointment or anger.

And it's not just fans who didn't know stuff. It's actual athletes who went to his camps, etc.