Márta Károlyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Márta Károlyi
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Simone Biles receiving medal from Károlyi in 2012
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Márta Erőss
August 29, 1942 Székelyudvarhely, Kingdom of Hungary (now Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania)
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| Occupation | Gymnastics coach |
| Known for | Romanian centralized gymnastics training system and coach to many world champions in Romania and U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Andrea Károlyi Wise |
| Parent(s) | Júlia Bálint, Ernő Erőss |
Márta Károlyi (born August 29, 1942) is a famous gymnastics coach. She was also the head of the national team for USA Gymnastics. Márta and her husband, Béla, are from Romania. They are Hungarian by their family background.
They trained many amazing gymnasts in Romania, like Nadia Comăneci. In 1981, they moved to the United States. Together, Márta and Béla Károlyi helped train many champions. These include nine Olympic champions and fifteen world champions. They also coached many U.S. national champions. Some of these famous gymnasts are Nadia Comăneci, Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug, and Dominique Moceanu.
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Early Coaching in Romania
The Károlyis helped create Romania's special gymnastics training program. This program started in the 1950s. They made it even better in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Starting a Gymnastics School
Márta and Béla opened a special boarding school in Oneşti, Romania. They chose young girls who showed great talent for gymnastics. These girls lived at the school and trained there. One of their very first students was Nadia Comăneci. Nadia was only six years old at the time. She lived close to Oneşti and came to the school from her home.
Márta's Role in Romania
Béla was often the public face of Romanian gymnastics. He went with the team to big competitions. Márta, however, usually stayed behind the scenes. She focused on coaching the gymnasts. She also helped create their routines.
In 1981, the Károlyis and their friend Géza Pozsár were on a gymnastics tour. They were in the United States. During this trip, they decided to stay in the U.S. They were given permission to live there. They made their new home in Oklahoma. Later, their daughter, Andrea, joined them.
Coaching in the United States
After moving to the U.S., the Károlyis opened a gymnastics gym. It was in Houston, Texas. Béla was known as "Nadia's coach." This quickly brought many gymnasts to their new club.
A Top Training Center
By the late 1980s, the Károlyi gym became a top training place in the United States. By 1990, gymnasts from their gym were winning many national meets. People even called the best group of athletes the "Károlyi six-pack." At the 1991 World Championships, every gymnast on the U.S. team had trained with the Károlyis. Some were even coached by former Károlyi club coaches.
In their coaching team, Béla was often the "motivator." He helped gymnasts feel strong and ready. Márta was the "technician." She used her deep knowledge of gymnastics. She helped athletes learn and perfect their moves. She also made sure their form was excellent. Béla was often seen at meets and talked to the media. Márta preferred to work in the background.
In 1996, Márta was chosen for a very important job. She became the head coach of the U.S. women's team for the 1996 Olympics.
Leading the National Team
After the 1996 Olympics, the Károlyis stopped coaching for a while. But three years later, Béla returned. He was named the national team coordinator for the U.S. women's gymnastics team. This job meant he would oversee the whole team. However, some gymnasts and coaches did not like his methods. By the 2000 Olympics, they were very unhappy. They even talked about it publicly.
Márta Takes Over
In 2001, the U.S. national team coaches suggested a change. Márta was given the position of national team coordinator. She kept some parts of Béla's original plan. But her way of doing things was different. Gymnasts and coaches generally liked her approach more.
Her leadership brought amazing results. Between 2001 and 2008, American women won many medals. They earned 44 medals in World Championship and Olympic competitions.
As the coordinator, Márta managed everything for the women's national team. She chose which athletes would compete. She decided which events gymnasts would do at meets. She also gave advice on new skills and how to put routines together. The Károlyis' daughter, Andrea, worked as the team's nutritionist.
Olympic Success
At the 2012 Olympics, a gymnast named Aly Raisman was competing. She got a score on the balance beam. It put her just behind another gymnast. Márta Károlyi asked for the judges to review the score. After the review, Aly Raisman got a higher score. This helped her win the bronze medal.
Márta retired from coaching in 2016. This was after the Olympics where the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team won nine medals. They earned four gold, four silver, and one bronze medal. Her last group of gymnasts called themselves the Final Five. They did this because it was Márta's last Olympics. Valeri Liukin took her place on September 16, 2016.
Márta's husband, Béla, passed away on November 15, 2024. He was 82 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Marta Károlyi para niños
