USA Gymnastics women’s national team coordinator Martha Karolyi plans to step down from her post after the Rio 2016 Olympics, she told NBC affiliate WTHR in Indianapolis.
“Unfortunately, any good stuff has to come to an end,” Karolyi said, smiling and leaning back while sitting down.
Karolyi, 72, has been in her role since succeeding husband Bela in 2001, leading the U.S. women to Olympic team silver or gold medals at each of the last three Olympics, including the Olympic all-around gold medalist at three straight Olympics.
Karolyi said years before the 2012 Olympics that she would step down after London but cooled on it in the months leading up to the Games and, during the Games, said she decided to continue on.
Olympic champions Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman will compete domestically for the first time since the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at the Secret U.S. Classic, along with two-time reigning World all-around champion Simone Biles, on Saturday (Universal Sports, 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET).
WTHR recently visited the Karolyis’ ranch in Texas and filed these video reports:
[protected-iframe id="cfd56bce58109d3c63b045b02bdc9d01-39675906-52046642" info="http://WTHR.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=376720;hostDomain=www.wthr.com;playerWidth=630;playerHeight=355;isShowIcon=true;clipId=11703284;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=Sport;advertisingZone=;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=overlay;galleryType=wnstory;galleryId=29606887" ]
[protected-iframe id="ff93f8af4b313fe6fd6e24f2db4500b4-39675906-52046642" info="http://WTHR.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=123997;hostDomain=www.wthr.com;playerWidth=630;playerHeight=355;isShowIcon=true;clipId=11701726;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=overlay;galleryType=wnstory;galleryId=29606887" ]
[protected-iframe id="74ffbac61b321ddb221a44b263585214-39675906-52046642" info="http://WTHR.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=900979;hostDomain=www.wthr.com;playerWidth=630;playerHeight=355;isShowIcon=true;clipId=11701734;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=overlay;galleryType=wnstory;galleryId=29606887" ]
[protected-iframe id="5f239e2c2a55ec2d25e8a8bd30f57125-39675906-52046642" info="http://WTHR.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=95591;hostDomain=www.wthr.com;playerWidth=630;playerHeight=355;isShowIcon=true;clipId=11701738;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=overlay;galleryType=wnstory;galleryId=29606887" ]