Gymnastics coach who trained Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton and who was linked to Nassar scandal dies at 82

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A legendary gymnastics coach died Friday, according to USA Gymnastics.

Bela Karolyi, best known for training legends Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton, died at 82.

No cause of death was given.

Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Comaneci and Retton.

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"A big impact and influence on my life," Comaneci, just 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted on Instagram.

Romanian Nadia Comaneci, center, and Soviet Nellie Kim, right, were awarded perfect 10 scores during the 1976 Olympics. Comaneci bested Kim in the all-around final. (Getty Images)

The Karolyis defected to the United States in 1981 and, over the next 30-plus years, became a guiding force in American gymnastics, though not without controversy. Bela helped guide a 16-year-old Retton to the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and memorably helped an injured Kerri Strug off the floor at the 1996 Games in Atlanta after Strug’s vault secured the team gold for the Americans.

Karolyi briefly became the national team coordinator for the USA Gymnastics women’s elite program in 1999 and incorporated a semi-centralized system that eventually turned the Americans into the sport’s gold standard. It did not come without a cost. He was pushed out after the 2000 Olympics after several athletes spoke out about his tactics.

U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton performs in the 1980s. (Robert Riger/Getty Images)

It would not be the last