Video appears to show former US Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller in the US Capitol riot



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Klete Keller, a two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist in swimming, was apparently among the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, according to video footage.

The video appears to show Keller, 38, without a mask and wearing a Team USA jacket during the riot. Keller was on the US swim team at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, anchoring the 4×200 freestyle. In 2004 in Athens, he notably fended off Australia’s Ian Thorpe to help his team – which included Michael Phelps – win gold.

A spokesperson for USA Swimming, contacted by ESPN, could neither confirm nor deny that it is Keller seen in the video, which was first reported by swimming news site SwimSwam. Several former teammates and coaches said they recognized Keller in the video, according to a New York Times report.

Townhall Media reporter shared the now viral video inside the Capitol Rotunda on January 6, and Keller would appear around 12 seconds.

“[W]We respect the rights of individuals and groups to demonstrate peacefully, but in no way condone actions by those on Capitol Hill last week, ”a USA Swimming spokesperson told ESPN on Tuesday.

Keller had recently worked as a real estate agent in Colorado Springs with the Hoff & Leigh agency. His job was confirmed to SwimSwam, but his profile has since been deleted.

Keller has since deleted all of his social media accounts, although he has posted in the past his staunch support for President Donald Trump. The most recent public photos of him on Instagram are from 2017 at an event outside of Boston.

The Jan.6 riots by pro-Trump supporters protesting President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral certification resulted in the deaths of five people, including a U.S. Capitol police officer. Dozens of people have since been arrested, and the FBI said on Tuesday it had opened more than 160 cases and investigated more than 100,000 digital evidence received.



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