Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United Stawtes into an international power, has died. He was 82.

USA Gymnastics said Karolyi died Friday. No cause of death was given.

Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.

“A big impact and influence on my life,” Comaneci, who was just 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted on Instagram.

The Karolyis defected to the United States in 1981 and over the next 30-plus years became a guiding force in American gymnastics, though not without controversy. Bela helped guide Retton — all of 16 — to the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and memorably helped an injured Kerri Strug off the floor at the 1996 Games in Atlanta after Strug’s vault secured the team gold for the Americans.

Karolyi briefly became the national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics women’s elite program in 1999 and incorporated a semi-centralized system that eventually turned the Americans into the sport’s gold standard. It did not come without a cost. He was pushed out after the 2000 Olympics after several athletes spoke out about his tactics.

Hockey

Gopher men lose in Bemidji, split series

The Bemidji State men’s hockey team scored twice in the first period and added an empty-net goal in a 3-1 win over Minnesota on Saturday, splitting the weekend series in Bemidji.

Kirklan Irey scored both first-period goals for the Beavers (5-6-0).

Matthew Wood had the Gophers’ lone goal in the third at 17:48, but any comeback would end with Donte Lawson’s empty-netter.

Liam Souliere had 18 saves in goal for Minnesota (10-2-0), while Mattias Sholl stopped 38 shots for Bemidji State.

Gopher women finish weekend sweep in Duluth

Minnesota Duluth took an early 1-0 lead, but Minnesota’s women’s hockey team came back to earn a 3-2 win on Saturday to sweep the weekend series in Duluth.

Kamdyn Davis scored just 3:54 into the game for the Bulldogs, but the Gophers got goals from Gracie Graham and Peyton Hemp before the end of the first period.

Emma Conner scored in the third for Minnesota (10-3-1, 6-3-1 WCHA) before Nina Jobst-Smith finished the scoring for Minnesota Duluth (6-5-1, 5-4-1).

Goaltender Hannah Clark made 31 saves for the Gophers. Eve Gascon had 35 saves for the Bulldogs.

golf

Campos becomes father and shares PGA lead

Rafael Campos celebrated the birth of his daughter on Monday and now is in position for another big moment. He set a personal best with a 9-under 62 on Saturday to share the lead going into the final round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Andrew Novak also shot a 62 on a day when the wind became ferocious toward the end of the round at Port Royal, with gusts topping 40 mph. Novak caught a break on the 18th when his tee shot was rolling back down a cart path and hopped onto the grass.

Justin Lower, who began the blustery day with a 62, drove into the water on the par-5 18th and scrambled for a bogey for a 68 to finish one shot behind.

Campos and Novak were at 16-under 197, both searching for their first victory.

Korda recovers; cuts Hull’s LPGA lead to one

Nelly Korda holed two long birdie putts to start her recovery from a six-shot deficit to Charley Hull, cutting the lead down to one shot Saturday going into the final round of The Annika.

Hull kept the lead by limiting the damage to a bogey on the 18th hole at the Pelican Golf Club after hitting into the water following a lengthy wait that led them to finish in near darkness. That gave her a 2-under 68.

Korda was poised to tie for the lead when she hit the tricky 18th green about 30 feet away. Her birdie putt down the slope and with the grain toward the water still ran out 4 feet, and she missed the par putt and shot 67.

Hull was at 12-under 198, one shot clear of Korda and Zhang Weiwei, who finished much earlier with a 62. Zhang is No. 106 in the Race to CME Globe and needs to finish in the top 100 to keep a full LPGA card for next year.

briefly

Skiing >> American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin earned her record-extending 98th career World Cup win Saturday to give herself the chance to compete for victory No. 100 in front of a home crowd.

nascar >> The two teams suing NASCAR over an antitrust complaint said Saturday they will compete in 2025 as “open teams” after the sanctioning body removed anticompetitive release claims that will allow them to race while the legal process continues.

Tennis >> Taylor Fritz followed his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open by beating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday to play for the trophy at the ATP Finals. In Sunday’s final, Fritz will will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the player he lost to in the U.S. Open final. Sinner also beat Fritz in straight sets in the group stage this week. Sinner advanced with a rapid 6-1, 6-2 win over Casper Ruud.

nba >> San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama wasn’t in the lineup for Saturday night’s game at Dallas because of a right knee contusion.

NBA >> Golden State forward Draymond Green’s foul against Memphis’ Zach Edey in the third quarter of the Warriors’ victory over the Grizzlies has been upgraded to a category-one flagrant, the NBA said Saturday after reviewing the play.

NHL >> The Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with an unspecified injury to goaltender Frederik Andersen that could keep him out for an extended period.

MLB >> The Toronto Blue Jays have hired former Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell as vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager.

— From news services