Andrew Alexander "Andy" Gabel (born December 23, 1964) is a four-time, short track speedskating U.S. Olympian (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998),[1] and holds a silver medal as a member of the 1994 5000 meter Short Track relay team.[2] Gabel was also a member of the National Short Track Team for the longest in U.S. Speedskating history in either Long or Short Track.[2]
In 2013, Gabel was accused of, and to a degree acknowledged, improper sexual relations with two female skaters in the Olympic speedskating program, both aged 15 and respectively 18 and 11 years his junior at the times of the beginnings of the relationships. As a result of the accusations, Gabel resigned from the International Skating Union (ISU) and U.S. Speedskating.[3]
Olympic Abuse: The Role of National Governing Bodies in Protecting Our Athletes
Andy Gabel's case, occurring before the widespread emergence of the #MeToo movement, demonstrated early parallels to the larger discussions surrounding athlete abuse and misconduct, during the Larry Nassar case. This underscored the need for enhanced awareness, prevention, and accountability, ultimately contributing to the momentum that led to the rise of the #MeToo movement and its focus on addressing such issues in sports and beyond.[4]
Personal life
Gabel grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, and is the son of Andy Gabel, Sr., and Evie Gabel. He has one brother and three sisters.[5]
Gabel was a member of the National Short Track Team from 1979 to 1998, the longest in U.S. Speedskating history in either Long or Short Track; he was also a member of the National Long Track Team from 1981 to 1989.[2] Gabel won over 75 international medals as a member of the World Short Track Team from 1987 to 1998.[2] He also competed in 12 World Championships.[6]
At the 1994 Lillehammer Games, Gabel won a silver medal as a member of the 5000 meter Short Track relay team, skating the fastest leg in the relay.[5]
In 1994, Gabel was elected to the U.S. Speedskating's 15-member governing Board of Directors as an athlete representative.[2] He was elected as the Office of Vice President in 1999 and became the sixth President in 2002, succeeding Fred Benjamin.[7] Gabel negotiated sponsorship agreements with ADT and Qwest, during his tenure as President.[6]
Gabel secured his Olympic Team spot during the 1998 Olympic trials in Lake Placid, NY by winning the 1000-meter and 500-meter heats, including the final 500-meter heat in 43.032 seconds, beating the old U.S. mark of 43.250 set in 1996 by Scott Koons of Cleveland, OH.[8] The Associated Press called a 33-year-old Gabel "something of a geriatric marvel in a sport that now normally is dominated by much younger skaters."[8]
During the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Gabel and Amy Peterson, the last American prospects for a medal in short track speedskating, were eliminated in the semifinals; Gabel, called "Grandpa" or "the Godfather" by his younger teammates, was knocked out in the men's 500 meter race after clipping a lane marker and tumbling into the padded boards.[9]
Three-time Olympic medalist Peterson fell behind in the women's 1000 meter semifinal heat; that year, the U.S. Olympic team received 13 medals, matching the record set in Lillehammer.[9]
For the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Gabel was the Director of Figure Skating and Short Track speedskating.[2] Gabel served as a member of the ISU Short Track World Cup Management Commission from 1998 to 2002, and is presently the Chairman of the ISU Short Track Technical Committee.[2]
On April 26, 2003, at Anaheim, CA, Gabel was elected to the speedskating hall of fame.[2]
Sexual misconduct
In late February 2013, speedskater Bridie Farrell, 31, "allege[d] she was 15 when she and Gabel, then in his 30s and a teammate, first had improper sexual contact that she said occurred multiple times in 1997 and 1998. Gabel told the [Chicago] Tribune in a statement … that he had a 'brief, inappropriate relationship with a female teammate', made no excuses for his behavior and apologized to her for it". Farrell had informed the U.S. Olympic Committee what had happened the day before the public statement. Farrell, who said "neither rape nor sexual intercourse had taken place", said she appreciated the apology from Gabel, but replied: "Adults who abuse children should not have access to children. They shouldn't be allowed in the skating rink, they shouldn't be allowed in the gym, they shouldn't be allowed on the soccer fields, the softball fields." USOC CEO Scott Blackmun "said he was glad [Farrell] chose to tell her story because it would help others in similar circumstances hear they are not alone". Farrell said, "For me to receive a phone call from Scott at the USOC meant the world to me, not because he was calling me but because maybe the U.S. Olympic Committee is understanding the amount of devastation this wreaks within our sport.… Maybe it is finally time for true, true change."[10]
In early March 2013, Gabel resigned from the International Skating Union and U.S. Speedskating.[3]
Also in March 2013, a second report emerged. Having heard of Farrell's experience, "Nikki Meyer, who was known by her maiden name of Nikki Ziegelmeyer when she won short track relay medals for the U.S. at the Albertville and Lillehammer Games," accused Gabel of raping her soon after she joined the Olympic training program, summer 1991. She described the alleged attack and ensuing three-year relationship in explicit detail and said, "He’s a child molester … rapist … sexual abuser [and] … pedophile". Gabel acknowledged "he made mistakes during his skating career, but strongly denied forcing himself on anyone". Meyer said she was not sure if she would "pursue criminal charges" or if she even could "because of the possible statute of limitations". But she hoped Gabel would receive "a lifetime ban from U.S. Speedskating and [removal] from the … Hall of Fame".[3]
U.S. Speedskating said in a statement it "will not tolerate abuse of any kind [and], through a referral from the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Safe Sport program", and hired the law firm Sidley Austin LLP "to investigate all accusations involving Gabel".[3]
Olympic Record
Men's Speedskating Competitor for the United States
In August 2004, he joined The Bonham Group, a Denver-based sports marketing company;[11] he was responsible for new business development, business planning and budgeting.[6]
Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track". The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of competitive ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track skating".
Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a length of 111.111 metres (364.54 ft). The rink itself is 60 metres (196.85 ft) long by 30 metres (98.43 ft) wide, which is the same size as an Olympic-sized figure skating rink and an international-sized ice hockey rink. Related sports include long-track speed skating and inline speed skating.
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Having lost the bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics to Albertville in France, Lillehammer was awarded the 1994 Winter Games on 15 September 1988, two days before the 1988 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies at the 94th IOC Session in Seoul, South Korea. Due to the calendar changes made in 1986, this was the only time that the Winter Olympics took place two years after the previous Winter Games, and the first to be held in a different year from the Summer Olympics. This was the second Olympic Games of any type hosted in Norway — the first being the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo — and the fourth Olympics overall to be held in a Nordic country, after the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, and the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Lillehammer is the northernmost city ever to host the Olympic Games.
Bonnie Kathleen Blair is a retired American speed skater. She is one of the top skaters of her era, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal.
Shani Earl Davis is an American former speed skater.
Christine Diane Witty is an American speed skater and racing cyclist and participated in the Olympic Games in both sports.
Amy Peterson is an American short track speed skater. Peterson competed in five consecutive Olympic games from when short track speed skating was exhibition sport in 1988 to 2002.
John Keithan Coyle is an American short track speedskater who was part of the U.S. silver medal-winning relay team at the 1994 Winter Olympics. He is also an author, speaker and Design Thinking expert.
Olivier Jean is a three time Olympian who represented Canada in both short and long track speed skating. Olivier Jean is a gold medalist from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games in the men's 5000m relay. He is a Canadian short track speed skater, racing internationally from 2002 to 2015 and switched to long track speed skating, competing internationally from 2015 to 2018. Olivier competed at his second Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 in short track speed skating, and for his third game appearance, switched to long track speed skating, competing in the mass start at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games. His appearance is well known for his dreadlocks and for listening to reggae, which he says makes him skate faster.
Katherine Reutter-Adamek is an American short track speed skater. She is a two-time medalist in the Winter Olympics, 2011 overall world silver medalist and the 2010–2011 overall ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup champion.
Kimberly Derrick is an American short track speed skater.
Simon Cho is a retired Korean American short track speed skater who was a member of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He is currently the head coach at Potomac Speed Skating Club. Since Cho has become head coach, Potomac Speed Skating Club has been one of the top ranked clubs in the United States with evidence pointing from their Short Track National Club Championship 2016–2017 in March 2017 and a back to back team championship performance at the Buffalo Short Track Championships on October 21–22, 2017.
Kim Dong-Sung is a South Korean former short track speed skater. He won a gold medal in 1000m race and silver medal in 5000m relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics. He has been a two-time Overall World Champion in 1997 and in 2002 and two-time Overall World Cup Champion.
Shim Suk-hee is a South Korean short track speed skater. She is a two-time Olympic Champion and a World Champion (2014).
Jorien ter Mors is a retired Dutch speed skater on both short track and long track. She was the Olympic champion in the 1500 metres and team pursuit at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 1000 metres at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Emily Scott is an American short track speed skater who competed at 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. As a young girl, Scott was a gymnast and roller skater. She discontinued gymnastics when it became too expensive, and took up inline speed skating. As an inline skater, she won five World Championship gold medals and set three national records.
Kim Cheol-min is a South Korean speed skater.
Erin Jackson is an American speed skater, roller derby player, and Olympic gold medalist. Jackson is the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. She qualified for The World Games 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland, where she competed in inline speed skating in various distances on road and track. She also qualified to compete in the 500 meters long track speed skating event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
John-Henry Krueger is an American-born, naturalised Hungarian that has represented both countries in his sporting events in short track speed skating. He was an American national champion in the 500-, 1,000-, and 1,500-meter events. He competed for the U.S. in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in all men's individual events and in the 5,000-meter team relay event, winning the silver medal in the men's 1,000-meter event. He left U.S. Speedskating after a history of tensions for the stated reason of unmet financial need, switching his allegiance to Hungary in 2018 in time to qualify for Olympic participation in 2022. He earned silver medals for Hungary at the European Championships in Gdansk in the 1,000-meter men's individual event and at the World Championships in Dordrecht in the 5,000-meter relay event. He is competing for Hungary in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, where as of February 11, he had earned a bronze medal in the 2000-meter mixed relay.
Steven Dubois is a Canadian short-track speed skater.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
