Bea posted a translation of a GSP interview with Ecaterina (Kati) Szabo, whose real name (I learned) is Szabó Katalin. She’s an ethnic Hungarian. Like Bela.
… won 20 Olympic, world and continental medals. Although perhaps most notable for winning the all-around silver in the 1984 Olympics after an epic clash with Mary Lou Retton of the US, Szabo won gold medals in three of the individual events (vault, balance beam (tie), and floor exercise) and contributed to the team gold. …
Now age-42, what does she remember most about her Hall of Fame career?
… The hunger! I can say that I truly learnt what suffering from hunger means. If I had to name the most difficult to bare thing from the period when I was an elite athlete, that would be the diet. You must be tough in order to overcome this.
But you were still managing to run away for sweets…
It was very difficult because we were permanently watched but I remember a cute episode that happened in Moscow, i was with Daniela Silivas. After the contest we went to the tribune and started to beg for money: “Please, one rubla”. Anything was good, not just money.
I imagine that you were as well among the ones that were severely punished by Bela Karoly…
I am the type who does not like to live through the memories of 30 years ago. I turned the page and move on. But I do not regret anything that happened! Emilia Eberle called me last year to ask me if I will tell what I endured from Karoly. …
read more on Gymnastics – No Ceiling – Cati’s Szabo years of suffering
I’ll always remember how skinny the Romanian girls were at the 1979 World Championships, under the Karolyis. Story was that they were locked in a training camp with no way to beg extra food.
So far as I’ve heard, Bela has never answered that particular charge.
Click PLAY or watch her optional Floor from the L.A. Olympics on YouTube.
original post (Google Translate)
After the SHAWNEYJ return to the Karolyi Ranch, she tweeted:
Anybody out there know of an extremely qualified
nutritionistDietitian??? Im looking for one to work with… HELP!
That’s the new Karolyi way, I’m thinking.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 