RIP Bela Karolyi.
We were all mesmerised by the gymnastics that Nadia Comaneci brought to the world. Some of us wanted to be like Nadia. Others wanted to share her glory.
When Kerri Strug saluted the judges with a hop and a cry of agony, thousands of adults cried for joy, felt inordinate pride that a love of country had inspired such courage and strength.
When generations of elite gymnasts, many of them gold medal winners, spoke out about the abuse they had experienced whilst practicing their sport, those thousands and millions of cheering adults didn’t stop appreciating the gold medals.
They did start to look for someone to blame, someone who could take responsibility for the entire systemic nastiness that enabled the abuse to take place. Some chose the man who came to fame as Nadia Comaneci’s coach, and went on to shape elite gymnastics training in the USA, Bela Karolyi.
But who facilitated and enabled Karolyi? Who endorsed the training that earned the medals?
It was the same people who cheered when Nadia scored her first ten, who cried salt tears when Kerri cried out in pain for the USA’s first team gold in women’s gymnastics.
We, the public, were part of a society that valued gold above individual wellbeing.
RIP Bela Karolyi. He gave USA gymnastics what it asked for - medals.