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. 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. For the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Gabel was the Director of Figure Skating and Short Track speedskating. 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. On April 26, 2003, at Anaheim, CA, Gabel was elected to the speedskating hall of fame. 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." In early March 2013, Gabel resigned from the International Skating Union and U.S. Speedskating. 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