{"id":459781,"date":"2021-01-17T10:52:04","date_gmt":"2021-01-17T17:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=459781"},"modified":"2021-01-17T10:52:04","modified_gmt":"2021-01-17T17:52:04","slug":"gold-medalist-to-capitol-insurrection-tracing-the-rise-and-fall-of-klete-keller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/gold-medalist-to-capitol-insurrection-tracing-the-rise-and-fall-of-klete-keller\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold Medalist to Capitol Insurrection: Tracing the Rise and Fall of Klete Keller"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gold Medalist to Capitol Insurrection: Tracing the Rise and Fall of Klete Keller<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no sugarcoating the effect on the world of swimming that seeing Klete Keller\u2019s<\/strong> among protestors storming the United States Capitol on Jan. 6 has had, just as there\u2019s no diminishing the chilling effect of five lives lost that day or that the insurrection has had on American democracy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s made for a convenient hook in headlines of the coverage \u2013 of CEOs, elected officials and yes, an Olympic swimmer, joining an unruly mob of right-wing protestors trying to stop the certification of an election lost by twice-impeached American president Donald Trump<\/strong>. To boot, the symbolism of having an Olympic team patch on Keller\u2019s jacket, within the Rotunda of a stormed Capitol, is insult to injury.<\/p>\n

Keller faces three federal charges, that carry a possible sentence of up to 15 \u00bd years. He\u2019s free after having turned himself in to police in Colorado, and he is innocent until proven guilty.<\/p>\n

Beyond the easy headline, a famous name taking part in a historically infamous incident, the character at the center of this particular corner of American political controversy warrants rounding out. Keller is a notable athlete, yes, but he\u2019s not an obscure Olympian. He\u2019s a three-time Olympian, owner of five medals, three gold, two individual bronze. He spent more than a decade on high-level American swimming delegations, taking part in some of the sport\u2019s most famous moments.<\/p>\n

None of that calls for special treatment in a court of law or perhaps even public opinion. But as people near him have wrestled with how Keller descended into this predicament in his post-swimming life, the context of what he accomplished in the pool \u2013 and how it might have shaped his retirement \u2013 offer poignant context.<\/p>\n

More Klete Keller Coverage<\/h4>\n