Word: bela
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...gold for the United States. "My foot was killing me" after the first vault, Strug said. But the thought of passing up the second vault never entered her mind. "This is the Olympics. This is what you dream about from when you're 5 years old." Her coach Bela Karolyi carried her back to the arena for the medal ceremony, cradling her in his arms as the crowd gave her a standing ovation. "We didn't want to march out without Kerri," said her teammate Amanda Borden. "We kept telling her, we couldn't have done it without her." Strug...
Meanwhile, Dominique struggled to adjust to Karolyi's rigorous routine, which doubled her training hours and pitted her against his disciplined '92 Olympic hopefuls, among them world champion Kim Zmeskal. "The transition was hard," says Martha Karolyi, Bela's wife and coaching partner. "Dominique was not so focused." Dominique remembers, "I was scared. I didn't understand the meaning of seriousness and dedication." Still, when Dominique performed in her first exhibition two months later, she autographed pictures with the words Gold '96. "I said, 'Why you put that? That's not nice,'" Dimitry recalls. "And she said, 'I just feel...
...then by TIME, the 10-year-old offered an uncensored glimpse inside Karolyi's gym: "He gets real mad. On occasion, he kicks kids out of the gym. But the worst is when he says nothing, and you don't know what's the matter." What about those famous Bela bear hugs? "He's much nicer here...
Still, it is Bela whom Moceanu credits with kicking her into high gear. Not long after his return to elite gymnastics in late '93, Moceanu won the junior national title and began her meteoric ascent through the senior ranks. "His presence counts a whole lot," Moceanu says. She insists that Bela returned a changed man. No more yelling or name calling. "But he can be strict and tough," she says. "It works better with...
...Camelia, he says, "succeed in our life too, day by day, year by year." As for Karolyi, he says only Zmeskal could have made him bleed. He isn't concerned that the Olympics will throw Moceanu off her stride--or off the beam. "Dominique is naturally self-confident," Bela says, then laughs. "Sometimes too much...