US Speedskating eyeing sexual abuse allegations

U.S. An investigation was begun by speedskating Friday in to the report of a lady skater accusing former Olympian and organization leader Andy Gabel of sexual abuse in the 1990s. Bridie Farrell told public radio station WUWM in Milwaukee that she'd sexual experience of Gabel repeatedly over several months in 1997 and 1998 while both were learning Ny and Michigan. If the alleged abuse began, she was 15 and Gabel was 33. Gabel played in short track at three Winter Games and won a silver medal in the relay at Lillehammer in 1994. He also served a as president of U.S. Speedskating and is chairman of the short track committee for the International Skating Union. The national governing human body said it absolutely was not previously alert to any accusations against Gabel. "Our present knowledge is that it had been not reported to anyone at U.S. Speedskating or the authorities at that time," the organization said in a statement. "We want to explore this issue immediately to find out what action should really be taken." There is no immediate comment from Gabel. On his cellphone a message was left by the Associated Press. Farrell's lawyer, Jon Little, said the abuse began when Farrell and Gabel were teaching at the exact same membership in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. According to Little, Gabel started paying plenty of focus on Farrell. He'd let her push his car, for instance, and her skates were also sharpened by him. "She is star struck" Little said, describing her mind-set at the time. There clearly was no immediate remark from the ISU. But International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said, "Clearly, any allegations of this kind of serious character need to be absolutely investigated." The point is, they represent another drawback to a powerhouse U.S. Olympic activity, coming after a sexual abuse scandal in swimming. Dozens of coaches have already been accused of abusing underage swimmers, including a former national team manager, pressing USA Swimming to look at a "safe sport" program and go public with a lifetime ban have been received by a list of everyone who from the organization. Farrell's accusations are somewhat different in that the abuse allegedly began while she and Gabel were both still competitive. But Little said it follows much the same pattern of what happened in swimming: a mentorlike figure benefiting from a player. The statute of limitations for case has expired, Little said, so are there no ideas to pursue legal action. He said Farrell decided to come forward because she desires to alter the culture of Olympic sports in the U.S., something he called a old boys network." "They see their instructors resting with girls," Little said. "When they turn into a instructor. ... (they) obtain access to sexual relationships with young, fit teenage girls a' and it is only the main tradition. Every one believes that is OK." In her interview with WUWM, Farrell said she knew from the beginning that her relationship with Gabel was incorrect. "I knew that because he caused it to be be described as a secret," she said. "But I will say that the 15-year-old thought it absolutely was exciting." Farrell said she didn't tell anyone what had happened for a long time. "The first five to eight years after it just happened, I was scared," the radio station was told by her. "I was scared, since I was in and young speedskating, and I was banging on the door to the junior national team, then a senior national team, and I didn't need to do anything to jeopardize that. "Then," she added, "there was when I didn't say any such thing since I realized I was hurt an interval of my entire life, and I was broken. And it took quite a while and plenty of work and some pretty dark times to come to grips with it and set myself together." Farrell recently returned to speedskating after having a six-year absence and is building a long-shot bid for a spot on the U.S. Staff which will participate at the Sochi Games next year. She failed in three previous bids to be eligible for the Olympics. "I wanted to be close and real with friends in skating, but there was this big key and there was this big part I wasn't disclosing," she said. "And in order for me in all honesty and certainly be friends with these people, I wanted to be able to state, 'This is a enormous thing I am battling.'" Farrell said her biggest regret is waiting so long in the future forward. "I wish I'd said something your day that it happened," she said. "And if that person didn't trust me, that I told somebody else, and somebody else, until somebody listened." Com Connected Press Writer Amy Forliti in Minneapolis and AP Activities Writer Stephen Wilson in London added to this survey. Com Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963