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. |
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| Children | Andrea Károlyi Wise |
| Parent(s) | Júlia Bálint, Ernő Erőss |
Márta Károlyi (born August 29, 1942) is a famous Romanian-American gymnastics coach. She used to be the national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Márta and her husband, Béla Károlyi, were from Romania. They trained many amazing gymnasts there, including Nadia Comăneci. In 1981, they moved to the United States. Together, the Károlyis coached nine Olympic champions and fifteen world champions. They also trained many U.S. national champions like Mary Lou Retton and Kerri Strug.
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Early Coaching in Romania
Romania had a special gymnastics training program that started in the 1950s. The Károlyis helped make this program even better in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They opened a special boarding school in Oneşti. Here, young girls who showed great athletic talent were chosen to train. One of their first students was six-year-old Nadia Comăneci. Nadia lived nearby and came to the school every day.
While Béla was often seen with the team at big competitions, Márta usually worked behind the scenes. She focused on coaching the gymnasts and creating their routines.
In 1981, the Károlyis and their choreographer, Géza Pozsár, decided to stay in the United States during a gymnastics tour. They were given permission to live there and settled in Oklahoma. Their daughter, Andrea, joined them later.
Building a Legacy in the U.S.
After moving to the U.S., the Károlyis opened a gymnastics gym in Houston, Texas. Because Béla was known as "Nadia's coach," many gymnasts wanted to train at their club. By the late 1980s, the Károlyi gym became one of the best training places in the United States. By 1990, gymnasts from their gym were so good that people called the top group the "Károlyi six-pack." At the 1991 World Championships, every gymnast on the U.S. team had either trained with the Károlyis or with a coach who used to work for them.
Márta Károlyi was known for her calm and technical coaching style. She was often called the "technician" of the team. She used her deep knowledge of gymnastics to help athletes improve their skills and form. Béla was more of the "motivator" and was often seen at competitions. Márta preferred to stay in the background, focusing on the training itself.
In 1996, Márta was chosen to be the head coach for the U.S. women's team at the 1996 Olympics.
Leading the U.S. National Team
After the 1996 Olympics, the Károlyis took a break from coaching. However, in 1999, Béla became the national team coordinator for the U.S. women's gymnastics team. His way of doing things was not popular with the gymnasts and their coaches. By the 2000 Olympics, they were very unhappy.
In 2001, the U.S. national team coaches suggested that Márta take over the role. Márta kept some parts of Béla's program, but her approach was different. It was much more accepted by the gymnasts and their coaches. Her leadership led to amazing results. Between 2001 and 2008, American women won 44 medals at World Championships and Olympic competitions.
As the national team coordinator, Márta was in charge of everything for the women's team. She chose which athletes would compete and decided the order of gymnasts on each event. She also gave advice on skills and routine designs. The Károlyis' daughter, Andrea, worked as the team's nutritionist.
At the 2012 Olympics, Márta made an important decision during the balance beam final. After Aly Raisman received a score that put her just behind another gymnast, Károlyi asked for a video review. Because of this review, Raisman got an extra tenth of a point. This allowed her to win the bronze medal.
Márta retired from coaching in 2016, after the Olympics where the U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team won nine medals. Her last group of gymnasts called themselves the Final Five. This was because it was Márta's last Olympics. Valeri Liukin took over her role on September 16, 2016.
The Károlyi ranch, where many gymnasts trained, was sold to a lumber company in 2021. Márta's husband, Béla, passed away on November 15, 2024, at the age of 82.
See also
In Spanish: Marta Károlyi para niños
