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Summarized by Kent Larsen
After Finals, LDS Gymnast Dantzscher Lashes Out at Karolyi
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- After the US women's gymnastic team finished out of the
medals on Tuesday at the Sydney Olympic Games, team member Jamie Dantzscher,
an LDS Church member, was one of several athletes that lashed out at US
national team coordinator Bela Karolyi, criticizing his involvement in the
team.
Dantzscher viewed Karolyi's involvement in the team as one-sided, "Bela
takes credit when we do good and blames everyone else when we do bad -- it's
so not fair. He has so much control, too much, of the U.S. team. It's
horrible." Dantzscher told the Washington Post. "It's sad. [Karolyi and some
of the USA Gymnastics officials] know a lot about the sport of gymnastics,
but they don't know how to treat people."
Dantzscher's comments were in part a personal reaction to Karolyi's
criticisms of her performance. After Dantzscher performed poorly in the
preliminary meet on Sunday, Karolyi said ''Dantzscher is Dantzscher. She
[turned in] her typical Dantzscher effort."
But Dantzscher's comments also reflected the way other team members and
coaches felt. US Coach Kelli Hill told the Washington Post when asked if she
thought Karolyi had received too much credit for the team's turnaround since
1999, "Yes I do. I have a lot of respect for Bela as a person, but I feel
like I know how to do my job, and I needed to be trusted to do my job," she
said. "Coming in to training camps and having to prove that my gymnasts are
in shape -- that doesn't work for me."
Source:
U.S. Gymnasts Frustrated With Karolyi
Washington Post 19Sep00 S2
By Rachel Alexander: Washington Post Staff Writer
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