Martha Karolyi spoke to the media on a conference call yesterday and answered questions of all kinds.

After a truly remarkable tenure, this will be Karolyi's last Olympics as the U.S. National Team Coordinator. Below are her career reflections and thoughts on the upcoming Games.

On Aly Raisman and her strong leadership:

Raisman was named captain of this Olympic team in a tight race between her and Simone.

"She is a very good gymnast--a very dedicated one--and we really appreciate her contributions, especially working for her second Olympics knowing how much dedication it takes to do the job right, and I think the other girls look up to her because of this reason."

On Martha's greatest contribution to women's gymnastics:

Martha said this would have to be the semi-centralized training system, which was developed under Bela's tenure and continued when she took over. She believes it is a great system in which the athletes can still train in their home gyms while also consistently coming together to train at the Ranch.

"We unite all the coaches and gymnasts, and we make them understand that we are strong as we stay together as a team instead of trying to beat our teammates. So it's really a very positive atmosphere and a united approach to planning and working on a training plan and preparation plans for major international competitions."

On USA Gymnastics purchasing the gymnastics facilities at the Ranch:

She is happy to see the system continue in the same direction after her retirement.

"I think that's the best way as to preserve the system which proved itself as very efficient and able to produce world-class gymnasts and world-class teams."

On lineups for Rio: 

There is a tentative lineup set, but it will not be released until later because there will likely be changes as time goes on. The final lineup decision will be made after podium training is complete in Rio.

"In this period of time, we will study more the level of gymnastics, the level of consistency, the potential of scoring high on three-up three-up count."

On what she was looking for at the most recent training camp: 

This training camp (alike most) has been focused on achieving perfection. 

"We're working on details--to come closer to perfection--and based on coming closer to perfection, the routines will become more consistent. And on this base of consistency, the girls' confidence levels will be very high."

On how the alternates are doing:

During this time, Martha is focused solely on the five competitive members of the team while Steve Rybacki is overseeing the alternates.

"We train all together and they are doing the very same training plan I'm developing for the team, and if ever something happens to any of the team members, based on where we would need some reinforcements, we would choose one of the alternates."

On Gabby and Aly returning for their second Games:

Martha doesn't feel there is extra pressure on the returners, but rather that there is more pressure on the first-timers who don't have past Olympic experience. 

"It's easier the second time, mentally, because you already know how things go and what to expect, so I feel like it's an advantage for them to be more experienced. And based on that, they are able to be more comfortable in all kinds of situations which take place [in Rio]."

On the pressure Simone Biles may feel:

Simone's biggest competition is herself, so Karolyi said the majority of pressure should come from the inside. If she performs at her own personal best, that will surely be enough.

"They don't need to put on any extra pressure and we talk about this very often… that the person you want to please is yourself, and if you set high standards for yourself, and you put the work behind it, then you will be happy regardless of outcome. You're not thinking about the outcome, but you think about the process. And if this process is done correctly, you will be satisfied."

On what makes Simone so special:

Karolyi noted Simone's obvious talent, physical explosiveness, high level of difficulty, and her ability to make those difficult skills look effortless. 

"Besides having this great talent--behind the performances that Simone puts out--is very regimented and dedicated work. Nobody can become a world champion just because they're born with talent."

On Team USA's leos for Rio:

Martha said all the leos will be patriotic colors (which we know people love!) and most are very sparkly. The girls have already been given their leos, and they were very excited to receive them.

"The leotards are like little prom dresses for the girls, so they're pleased with it and it will give them a very good feeling to go out there with a good look and with a good preparation paired together."

On how she hopes this team will improve on the performances of the London team:

The plan for Rio is exactly what it was for London. The preparation is always the same--with a focus on making improvements and building up the confidence of each athlete. However, of course, the team composition is different and each gymnast works best in her own way.

"We pay attention to different personalities because every gymnast is a different person. We are not working with machines, so we try to take the right approach for every girl to bring out the best from each of them."


Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

On Gabby's progress:

Gabby has been making big progress throughout the Olympic training camp by maintaining a positive attitude and being open to corrections. Martha doesn't think she has missed a beam routine in the last four or five days, and she is very pleased with her progress. She also spoke about improvements on Gabby's opening pass of full-in to back tuck, saying the rhythm is actually looking better than when Ferrari did it.

"She is improving. Usually, Gabby just gets in shape in the last stretch. Most girls were at a higher level of preparation at the Trials, but she's made great strides in these two days and she is really, really looking good… No Amanar—she is doing the double full, but she improved her beam execution and her consistency on the beam. Her bar routines look excellent with a 6.5 start value and a very good body line."

On the development of the training system and adjustments she has made:

The semi-centralized system took many years to build, but over time, it's proven to be a highly effective way to not only train the current athletes, but also develop the next generation.

"Most importantly, we never wanted to copy anybody because a copy is never as good as an original. We never wanted to be a Chinese or a Russian gymnast, but developed an American way based on our girls' talents."

"We have lined up several of those little girls who are very talented and they will be ready to pop in on the next Olympic quadrennium for more competition. That's how it happened with Simone--popping in right after the Olympic with the individual world championship and winning with no question marks that competition. You have to develop a system where you're permanently developing gymnasts and at the same time the coaches' education."

On Gabby competing all-around in Rio:

While creating the lineups, the committee is not so much focused on who will do all-around, but rather who can contribute best on which event for the team score. That being said, Martha said Gabby's preparation has put her in a good spot for performing all-around in qualifications.

"Gabby's preparation is in a very, very good direction, and I forsee she can be used in the all-around, but we're not making these decisions as of now. But it's a strong possibility that she will be one of the all-around gymnasts."

On USA's biggest competition in Rio:

"The top nations like China or Russia, and lately a nation which popped up on the highest level is England--so those are the strongest countries we'll be competing with."

On the legacy she has left on gymnastics:

"I think developing team spirit--working together to get to the point where you don't want to beat each other, but you want to unite all efforts to be successful out there and have fierce competition at the world level… I think that's the most important thing."

On Romania not having a team at the Games:

Martha attributes Romania's inability to qualify an Olympic team to a broken system. While they have been unquestionably dominant in past quads, there hasn't been an influx of rising stars.

"I think they had some conflicts with organizations and I think the government, but somehow they forgot about the importance of raising gymnasts to be ready for every quadrennium."

Martha's very last training camp at the Ranch has come to an end... and the athletes are healthy and headed for Rio today!


Related:
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