Word: martha
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Most sports select their Olympians through open competitions, but USA Gymnastics has privatized the process, leaving it up to Martha and a two-member selection committee to handpick most of the young women who represent the U.S. It's a controversial system, but the logic is compelling: to win gold medals in gymnastics, you need a Karolyi...
Hurt by a failure to develop new stars, American women's gymnastics floundered in the years after the team's historic victory in Atlanta. Says USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi: "We had to do something." He pleaded for help from Bela, who was retired. Colarossi, Bela and Martha came up with a program that would not only improve the U.S.'s Olympic chances, but also keep the talent pipeline full. In 1999 Bela became the first national team coordinator (his wife succeeded him two years later), the gym czar with veto power over the Olympic team...
...centralized institutional program that is the hallmark of gymnastics powers such as China, Russia and Romania, from where the Karolyis defected in 1981. "It's a semicentralized system that lets the girls live in their own homes year-round, and periodically they come together to train," says Martha, who assumed control of the training center as her husband moved away from coaching--apparently for good. "It is extremely important to train together regularly to have guidance and common ground so everybody is not coming from different places." The gymnasts invited to the ranch begin to bond as a team...
...after a two-day camp at the Karolyis' in July. Picking the right squad is more important this year because of new rules in the team event. Teams no longer have the luxury of dropping their lowest score on each apparatus. "There is absolutely no place for error," says Martha. "It's a harsh rule and demands 100% consistency...
...selection camp, Carly Patterson, 16, an experienced competitor, was a clear favorite for her steady work on the beam, despite her third-place finish at the trials. Terin Humphrey, 17, also impressed Martha with her steely consistency. Traditionally, the U.S. has loaded the team with bars-and-beams girls to amass as many points as possible in its two weakest events. But this year the U.S. is exceptionally strong in those events. "So [at the camp], my mind shifted to using two gymnasts who are strong on vault and floor exercises," says Martha. And that led her to Mohini Bhardwaj...