Off Balance: A Memoir

[MaryClare]

My problem is that I just don’t believe that, had her comeback been successful, she’d have been anywhere near as critical of USAG/Karoylis

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Dominique owns and coaches at a gym in my Region. I havent had the chance to really see in her in action a whole lot yet. I look forward to the opportunity to see her style.

 

[phoenix7]

On a different note, I've finally read both books and caught up on these posts, mostly alternating chapters (minus taking all of the nationals events in the 1995 book in one chunk), and it's mind-bending the contrast. The 1995 book really does feel like it was Bela-dictated in some ways, and I can't decide if it feels like he had input pre-publishing or if she knew the party line and made sure to stick to it. I can't imagine she proof-read it with mistakes and misnamed skills rampant in the book.

Bela's Romanian gymnasts - not just Nadia, but also her less prominent teammates - had to learn his version of events and parrot them to the press, so Id be surprised if he didn't work something similar with Dominique when he had the chance.

 

[Hatsumomo]

What was the Karolyis' American Olympic medal track record as coaches (pre-NTC role)? It seems they had their tantrums and abandoned their gymnasts when they didn't turn out to be the golden girls.

Decisions shouldn't be made in closed-door sessions. If she were in charge, she'd go back to doing it solely through public competitions, with top scores at Trails qualifying peaking athletes.

Kim Kelly co-signs

 

[QuietColours]

What was the Karolyis' American Olympic medal track record as coaches (pre-NTC role)? It seems they had their tantrums and abandoned their gymnasts when they didn't turn out to be the golden girls.


Kim Kelly co-signs

I thought about that when I was reading this too. It was actually interesting, because it felt a bit like Dominique was treating the '90s era of gymnastics as the way it was done properly for team selection and the selection process in the '00s as newly non-transparent. She doesn't mention Kim or bring up '92 at all, and it felt like a very odd oversight to skip something that would have driven her point for the need for transparency further home, but it also would have ruined the 'good old days' feeling of those paragraphs on how things used to be done right when the Karolyis weren't the NTC.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Kim Kelly is one of those odd examples that would fit either narrative. Was them doing a closed-door second Trials and removing her from the Olympic team after she earned her spot at the first Trials messed up? Yes. But when you consider her overall track record of being able to (kinda sorta) put it together at domestic meets, only to completely fall apart in international competition every single time, did removing her from the Olympic team end up being the correct result? Also yes. I posted her competition record on the board many moons ago and looking at it listed out like that, I can't totally blame anybody looking for a way to not take her with Olympic medals on the line.

 

[RedBirdie]

What was the Karolyis' American Olympic medal track record as coaches (pre-NTC role)? It seems they had their tantrums and abandoned their gymnasts when they didn't turn out to be the golden girls.

Not good, imo. I think Phoebe Mills was their only individual Olympic medalist (BB bronze) outside of the boycotted 1984 games.

Heck, they didn't have an individual world medalist until 1991.

1983: no one on team
1984: boycotted mess Olympics that shouldn't count (2 on team, 1 team medal, 6 individual medals)
1985: no one on team
1987: 3 on team, no medals
1988: 3 on team, 1 individual medal
1989: no one on team
1991: 4 on team, 1 team medal, 3 individual medals
1992 (worlds): 3 on team, 3 individual medals
1992 (Olympics): 3 on team, 1 team medal
1993: did not coach
1994: did not coach
1995: 1 on team, 1 team medal, 1 individual medal
1996 (worlds): no one on team
1996 (Olympics): 2 on team, 1 team medal

1984 is doing a heavy lift as far as their medal count. It accounts for more than 35% of the medals won by their gymnasts.

From 1985-1996, their gymnasts won 13 medals, including team medals. Shannon Miller won 16 from 1991-1996. Dominique Dawes won 7 from 1992-1996.

 

[Hatsumomo]

That's what I suspected. I really appreciate you laying it out like that; thank you.

 

[makam]

Their press was more successful than their coaching results.