Bela Karolyi, the iconic coach who guided Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton to Olympic triumphs and transformed the face of gymnastics, has passed away at the age of 82. His legacy was tainted by serious allegations of abusive coaching practices.

Comaneci expressed her sorrow on Instagram, sharing a collection of treasured moments, including a nostalgic black-and-white image of her and Karolyi walking together. She wrote: “A significant impact and influence in my life. RIP Bela Karolyi.”

“Nearly fifty years ago, he guided me to the unforgettable achievement of the first perfect 10 at the Olympics, which changed my life forever,” Comaneci shared with YSL News Sports about Karolyi, who passed away on Friday.

The exact cause of his death has not yet been disclosed.

In recent years, Karolyi’s health deteriorated, and both he and his wife Martha largely stepped out of the limelight following the abuse crisis that marred USA Gymnastics. It came to light that former doctor Larry Nassar had sexually abused numerous young female athletes, with some incidents taking place at the Karolyi ranch during training sessions. While the Karolyis denied any knowledge of Nassar’s actions, the scandal raised further scrutiny on long-standing allegations of their own abusive coaching methods. In 2017, USA Gymnastics rescinded a deal to purchase the Karolyi ranch for use as a national training center, effectively severing ties with them.

Karolyi gained fame in his home country of Romania. He and Martha originally worked as elementary school teachers in Transylvania, incorporating gymnastics into their curriculum to keep students warm during the cold winters. Their talent quickly led them to coach the national team.

He revolutionized gymnastics in 1976 at the Montreal Olympics, arriving with a remarkably young team. Unlike most elite female gymnasts of that era, who were typically in their late teens or early twenties, Karolyi’s squad had only one gymnast older than 14. Romania secured a silver medal, establishing a long-held belief that gymnastics was a sport for the youth.

It was also during the Montreal Games that the world first saw Comaneci, a talented gymnast who achieved the remarkable first perfect 10 in Olympic history. She would accomplish this six more times, ultimately earning three gold medals, with Karolyi celebrating her success after each performance.

Although Karolyi received acclaim in Romania for his team’s achievements, he fell out of favor after the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to his criticism of the judging system, which he felt denied Comaneci a second gold medal. His outspoken remarks displeased Romanian officials, who were wary of upsetting their Soviet allies.

Aware that repercussions were likely, Karolyi and Martha took the risk of defecting to the United States in March 1981, despite their lack of English skills and their daughter remaining in Romania.

Initially, Karolyi took on various low-wage jobs before reconnecting with acquaintances in the gymnastics world. Soon, he and Martha returned to coaching, mentoring a spirited teenager from West Virginia named Mary Lou.

Retton became the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around title in 1984.

For the following eight years, the Karolyis emerged as the most significant gymnastics coaches in America. Every U.S. all-around championship from 1987 to 1992 saw a Karolyi gymnast claim victory, culminating with Kim Zmeskal becoming the first American woman to secure the world championship in 1991.

The couple retired after the 1992 Olympics but returned shortly before the Atlanta Games to train Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strug. Strug famously clinched the team gold for the U.S. women with a vault despite competing on an injured ankle, and Karolyi, ever the showman, carried her onto the medals podium.

After the Atlanta Games, the Karolyis again stepped back from coaching. However, in 1999, USA Gymnastics persuaded Karolyi to return and oversee an overhaul of the U.S. training system. Instead of gymnasts training independently and coming together only for events, the new system implemented monthly training camps to build camaraderie among athletes. Though Karolyi only held the national team coordinator position for a year, Martha succeeded him and contributed to the U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s success.