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Chat Reel: Bela Karolyi

Not set yet on future plans with USA Gymnastics

Bela Karolyi is interested in continuing to work with the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team under certain conditions. Mike Powell/Allsport

CNNSI Host: Welcome to CNNSI.com's chat with U.S.A. Gymnastics coordinator Bela Karolyi. Thanks for joining us Bela.
Bela Karolyi: Thank you.

From Glenetta Collier in San Antonio, Texas: What is ahead for you? Will you continue in your role as national coordinator?
Bela Karolyi: As of December the 31st, my existing agreement with the Federation will expire. At that point, I need to sit down to lay out my suggestions for improvement of the program, and await the result of the understanding or cooperation to meeting those requirements, which would elevate the next generation of gymnasts to be again competitive on the international scene. If the requirements and suggestions will be met, then I'm willing to offer my services to supporting the teams in the years to come, all the way up to the next Olympic Games.

From Laura Dagenhart in Denver, Colo.: How do you feel about the "doping" scandal involving Andrea Raducan? Do you think that IOC members should be able exercise discretion for situations like these?
Bela Karolyi: The scandal wasn't a scandal, just a finding. It was a routine finding that a younger athlete with a banned substance in her system. Based on the rule of IOC, and based on this desperate war on drugs, performance enhancers and doping in sports, it was given the same consideration for this young gymnast, just as it was applied for all athletes, wrestlers, swimmers, and track and field athletes, regardless of age or sport. The fact is that this young athlete has been found with a substance which is a very strong performance enhancer in her system, and there is no proof that it had been provided by a cold medication or an intentional administration of that particular substance, resulting in a superior performance in her athletic event. This is a finding that breaks my heart, thinking that it was applied on a 15 years old young gymnast. But at the same time, I'm glad this finding and the result of the finding will be definitely an incredible warning sign from now, putting every young gymnast to think twice before they are reaching for these banned, prohibited, destructive substances to enhance their athletic performances.

From Jennifer in Tucson, Ariz.: What is your role with the national tour that some of the gymnasts are participating in?
Bela Karolyi: My role in the T.J. Maxx Tour of World Gymnastics Champions is as coordinating the effort to get the word out that the tour is coming to different sites, and different major arenas in 40 cities around the country. Also, this point, I have to express my excitement, having this opportunity to promote the sport, the one I love so much, and having the opportunity to promote the sport through such incredible athletes, like your reigning Olympic Champion, Alexi Nemov. and Svetlana Khorkhina, along with our boys and girls from the 1996 Olympic Games, like Shannon Miller, Amy Chow, and Dominique Mocianu. Of course, I'm very proud to promote the participation of our current Olympic team members of the men and the women's side. Knowing that their performance and their participation in this prestigious tour will create even more excitement around my beloved sport, bringing in even more young, aspiring athletes in this beautiful wonderful world of gymnastics.

From hopalong: Bela, do you think U.S. women's gymnastics will ever repeat the performance of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics?
Bela Karolyi: The U.S. Gymnastics performances are based on a participation which is absolutely amazing, of more than 4 million young participants. That makes us the largest gymnastics nation in the world, with the most participants. This fact traditionally gives us the opportunity to have some of those more talented, incredible athletes surfacing from this very large pool of talent, and to create the unique and unforgettable performances in 1984, with Mary Lou Retton in Los Angeles, becoming the first Olympic all around champion for the United States, Kim Zemeskal becoming the very first all around world champion for the United States in 1991, and the incredible Olympic team that became all around team Olympic champions in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia. The pool of talent is still out there, with the same dedication and excitement involved in our sport. That makes me confident that in coming up Olympic cycle, the coming up four years leading up to the next Olympic games, our Olympic team will have the capability to repeat the wonderful performances achieved in three years period of time.

From MaryLouFan: How long do you see yourself coaching, and what would you be doing for a living if gymnastics didn't exist?
Bela Karolyi: I am very fortunate that I still have an opportunity, regardless of whether I will or will not be involved as national team coordinator, where I'm fulfilling the position at this moment. I will still be involved continuously conducting my large gymnastics summer camps down in Houston, Texas, having an opportunity to meet and work effectively with dozens of young aspiring gymnasts, coming from all over the country, along with many other young athletes coming from different foreign countries. Also, I'm very glad that I have a new opportunity to keep in touch with the large gymnastic population through my new website, and that is www.girlsgymnastics.com, where I systematically will be able to give out invitations, personal advice, dietary advice, and also advice for the parents for different questions that they need to ask. Also, my website the young gymnasts will have an opportunity to have fun on their newly ingeniously set up cyber team, where they can practice and improve their gymnastics skills.

From liz: What athlete in the past 10 years was the most fun for you to work with in the gym?
Bela Karolyi: There is one name above all others... that is Mary Lou Retton. She was the most exciting, most beautiful personality I ever met in my 38 years of coaching career.

From Kerry in Newburyport, Mass.: How old is the latest you should set your kids in gymnastics in to be really great if they have the talent?
Bela Karolyi: First of all, I would start with the parents should consider taking the kids toward the gymnasium when they hit three or four years of age, and have them enjoy it, have them participate in it, and let them grow with it. There will come a time, whenever they are about nine or 10 years of age, to make up their minds based on their real abilities, real love, and real joy of the kids to guide them toward the competitive side of gymnastics, or to offer them continuously the joy and excitement generated by a recreational program. The earliest age when I could suggest identifying the real abilities and perspective to make a high quality performer comes around the age of nine or 10. ...When the coaches base on the knowledge of combined physical and most importantly mental characteristics of the young gymnast, they can indicate with fair precision the perspective and achievable goals for that particular young gymnast.

From andi: Bela, do you feel that Vanessa Atler will return to gymnastics?
Bela Karolyi: Vanessa Atler is still one of the most talented, if not THE most talented young gymnast the country ever had. Personally, I consider her capable for many years of being part of the sport, and the superior achievements, as long as she gives her athletic performance with the necessary attention it requires. Regardless her intention, I still consider her one of the best physical talents we definitely had in this last period of time in our sport.

From Cdn: Bela: I love all your gymnasts! Will you be making a sequel to Feel No Fear?
Bela Karolyi: The Feel No Fear book... the chapter was closed in an early stage, at the time when the book came out. There were many exciting things in my coaching experience that have happened ever since that might have to be added. I'm not sure how that's going to become a reality, but I know a movie is right now in works, which is a co production American and Hungarian producers. It definitely will be made, not just the facts related in the book, but they'll go through the points including the best experience of mine, including the Olympic team in Sydney Australia.

From MoceanuFan in Baltimore, Md.: I'd like to know how you think the U.S. Gymnastics will be in the next four years? Are there a lot of younger athletes coming up that will represent the U.S. well in the coming years?
Bela Karolyi: In December this year, I will need to have a very open talk with the Federation, describing the necessary steps that have to be taken in order to enhance the opportunity and the capability of our young athletes to be successful in next period of time. I hope this discussion will meet the approval and the support of the Federation, and we open a better, more efficiently directed system which will help the overall performance of our national teams. I'm very optimistic that through that implementation of a more efficient program of the national team level, we will create the premises of similar successes of what we enjoyed in the past period of time. I'm saying this based on knowing that the coming up generation is just as talented, if not even more, than the past generations we had prior to the previous Olympic Games.

CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Bela Karolyi. Thank you for joining us and good luck with the tour!
Bela Karolyi: You're very welcome!

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