I’m sure most of you have seen or read the recent news about Trudi Kollar (formerly Emilia Eberle) speaking out against the Karolyis. Her account is similar to what we have heard before from previous Karolyi gymnasts, only this time it’s coming from new sources. This was the first time Trudi spoke out about the abuse, and Geza Pozsar also stepped in and confirmed it for the first time.

I was actually in Sacramento a couple months ago and did an interview with Geza. I wasn’t interested in asking him about the negative aspects about the Karolyis, first because I didn’t think it was any of my business, but more so because I wanted to spend my time with him hearing awesome stories about Nadia, Mary Lou, Kim Zmeskal, and what it was like to know and work with so many top gymnasts. But during the interview, whenever Bela came up I noticed how careful he was in what he said about him. He was definitely holding something back and it was clear he didn’t want to delve into any dark stories about his past with Bela. It’s clear now what he was hiding.

Of course I cannot verify the veracity of the accusations made as I was not there, but it still breaks my heart to think of the possibility that any of it is true and the pain that these young girls reportedly endured. If you have not yet read the accounts you should read them and decide for yourself.

But on a positive note, this just makes me realize how far our sport has come. I grew up watching coaches like Octavian Belu and Leonid Arkaev. I still remember how intense they looked on TV. You don’t see that as much anymore.

And I must say, every gym I’ve been to since I started up this site has been a very healthy environment. Not to say that the gymnasts and coaches aren’t serious about their training, but they are showing that it can be done in a healthy way. For instance, look at Nastia and Shawn. I would bet that neither of them was ever subjected to abuse in the gym yet they are still consistently at the top of the podium. I think that says a lot.

And finally, we need to remember that it’s a different time. In most cases, what was tolerated 30 years ago would never fly today. Further, kids today are much different than 30 years ago. I remember during the Olympic broadcast they were talking about this year’s Romanian team and how the girls were “Americanized” and they couldn’t be pushed as hard as they used to be, or they would just quit.

I was fortunate to have had an amazing, positive experience as a gymnast, but I truly feel for anyone who underwent abuse in gymnastics in any form. Accounts like these are something we can all learn from and help our sport continue to evolve in a positive direction.