Bela Karolyi Quotes & Sayings

“In gymnastics, smaller will always be better in many ways. The stress in the head, that will be the same for all. But the stress on the body and the concussions it must endure, that will always be easier for the little ones.”

“A good 80 percent of the vault is still physical and another percentage of it, 20, 25 percent is mental. Mental is always the mental strength, the confidence building up to that contest or repetition, practice, practice, and practice.”

“The ideal gymnast would be between 4 feet 7 and 5-2. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint an ideal height, however. It would be foolish to say that a gymnast above 5-2 could not be great.”

“I consider myself very lucky that I could live my life through all the ups and downs.”

“Just like an animal, when you want to survive, you don't think anymore.”

“Back in Romania, always I was struggling to compete with Vladislav Rastorotsky, the great Russian coach of Lyudmila Turishcheva. He was a powerful coach, internationally. I took him like the major challenge of my life, and pretty soon I'm beating him and we are pushing each other so hard, so fierce. But out of the arena, we are friends.”

“The rest of the world laughed at American gymnastics before I came.”

“I know gymnastics. It's always been a subjective appreciation.”

“I'm tired of being hunted all over. I can't go anywhere without criticism.”

“The crowd sometimes plays a tremendous role to give you wings and carry you to victory.”