A former Olympian was among the mob that stormed the Capitol. His Team USA jacket gave him away.

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

Klete Keller, a five-time Olympic medalist and former teammate of Michael Phelps, was among the throng of President Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, according to video footage posted online.

Keller, a decorated swimmer who represented the United States at the Summer Olympics in 2000, ’04 and ’08, is seen towering over other Trump supporters inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, wearing a Team USA jacket. The video was taken by Townhall reporter Julio Rosas, and Keller’s participation was first reported Monday by SwimSwam, a popular swimming website.

Keller, 38, has made no public comments about his presence at the Capitol. He did not return phone messages or emails seeking comment Monday, and his telephone was no longer accepting messages Tuesday.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/12/trump-impeachment-biden-transition-live-updates/

[Generic Other]

1. Another on the NO FLY BOY List

[BusyBeingBest]

2. You wear identifying clothing, insignias, no masks, and post photos to social media or

even live-stream your involvement, when you feel PERFECTLY ENTITLED to barge into the Capitol to menace members of our government. Why did they have the idea they could do this?

[Joe Nation]

4. My guess is the confidence that inside help delivers.

There were accomplices at all levels of government.

[BusyBeingBest]

7. I read somewhere (maybe on DU) that the mob thought the police would

welcome them with open arms and usher them in to where Congress was, to confront them face to face. And when it became immediately apparent that only a few officers sided with them, they became angry and instantly turned on the police. So you are right about the confidence. Beyond that, I'm sure they thought that because Daddy Trump and some members of Congress were telling them to do it, they would be OK and not be in trouble.

[trueblue2007]

3. LOCK HIM UP. He can swim in the prison toilets during the next 15 years.

[SharonClark]

5. Love that his Wikipedia page has been updated to

include this info.

[LiberalArkie]

13. From Wikipedia

In 2021, Keller was identified as a participant in the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, where he was seen inside the Capitol Rotunda in a crowd of people clashing with police officers.[9] Keller's presence was reported to authorities by several people who saw a video posted by conservative outlet Townhall. Some of the people who recognized Keller in the video said his social media accounts had included a stream of pro-Trump messaging in recent years.[copyright violation?] His social media accounts have since been deleted.[10]

[VA_Jill]

8. These people

are just not the brightest bulbs in the string. Not only identifying clothing and no masks, but selfies, and hell, taking cell phones along in the first place. All the FBI or the cops have to do is ping your cell phone, FFS. You're done. And they can get all over your online activity. ~SMDH~

[SpankMe]

9. Funny thing...

David Boudia, Steele Johnson, Klete Keller - these US swimmers are all severe right-wing Christians. There's a high percentage of very conservative Christians in US Olympic men's swimming/diving and also US mens' gymnastics.

[TryLogic]

41. Perhaps more of them were at the Capital that day.

[skypilot]

10. I thought this was going to be about...

...Ryan Lochte for sure.

[eppur_se_muova]

30. You and me both.

I guess Ryan can be a little relieved now -- he's not the most infamous former Olympian anymore.

[skypilot]

33. Ryan's kinda dumb though.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's completely unaware that any of this ever happened.

[still_one]

11. Can they take away his medal?

Last edited Tue Jan 12, 2021, 08:42 PM - Edit history (1)

[DinahMoeHum]

16. No. Olympic medals cannot be rescinded for politics. . .

. . .only for cheating. . .ie. positive tests on performance-enhancing drugs. The IOC has final authority on that.

[still_one]

21. Thanks for the information

[Devilsun]

31. What about Mexico City?

[DinahMoeHum]

34. Tommie Smith and John Carlos were NOT stripped of their medals.

They were kicked out of the Olympic Village by the USOC, and banned from future participation in the Olympics by the IOC.

Even if they wanted to, the IOC had no legal reason whatsoever to take away their medals, unless they tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Their medals, by the way, (or at least Carlos's medal is on display at their alma mater, San Jose State University.

There is also this on the campus:

[MyOwnPeace]

37. Trust me......

after this it is as valuable as Gym & Rush's "Medal of Freedom!"

[tavernier]

12. I guess he can swim to Europe if he has any competitions there.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. The original article, by SwimSwam online magazine. . .

https://swimswam.com/olympic-gold-medalist-in-us-capitol-during-clashes-video-appears-to-show/

[BlueIdaho]

15. Take his name out of the record book.

He can keep the medal - they’re only worth about a hundred bucks.

[DinahMoeHum]

17. What for? He didn't take performance-enhancing drugs.

which would be the only reason to rescind medals and be stricken from the record books.

These are the Olympic swimming medals he won, by the way:

2000 – bronze, 400m freestyle
2000 – silver, 800m freestyle relay
2004 – gold, 800m freestyle relay
2004 – bronze, 400m freestyle
2008 – gold, 800m freestyle relay

[BlueIdaho]

18. Maybe being a traitor is reason enough?

He won those medals by representing America. Now he brings shame on the Olympic committee and other competitors.

[DinahMoeHum]

24. Sorry, it's no reason, legally or otherwise.

Medals cannot be taken away because of dislike/disagreement of a competitor's politics. Even if the person is accused of an act of sedition outside of sports and the competitive arena.

What Keller is accused of doing is completely outside his sport. He probably wore his Team USA garb to brag about his former status and fame.

[BlueIdaho]

27. Maybe you should do a little research...

Start with Jim Thorpe.

[DinahMoeHum]

35. Jim Thorpe's situation was about playing professionally. . .

. . .in baseball before competing in the Olympics.

That, however, was back in the days when the Edwardian bullshit concept of "amateurism" still held sway in the Olympics.

Also, that was not a matter of an athlete professing a political belief and pissing off the powers-that-be.

[jb5150]

32. That can't strip him of his medals .....

but there are other things that can be done, such as resending any endorsement deals, assuming he has any. If he belongs to any swimming or sporting guilds or organizations he can be given the boot, and I assume if he holds any honorary awards, those can be withdrawn.

[Swede]

19. Now I guess he's gonna swim up the river.

[dalton99a]

20. He should be arrested.

[BigDemVoter]

22. That motherfucker should be stripped of his medals.

[DinahMoeHum]

25. Please see post #16. Cannot be done.

n/t

[BigDemVoter]

26. Damn!

Although wasn't Mohammad Ali stripped of his when he refused to go to Vietnam? I may be misremembering it, and I suppose I COULD look it up on Google! Thanks though.

[DinahMoeHum]

28. Ali was stripped of his PROFESSIONAL boxing title in 1967. . .

. . .NOT his Olympic gold medal, which he won in 1960, before all the turmoil of the 1960s unfolded.

[BigDemVoter]

29. Thanks!

I couldn't remember the details. . .

[turbinetree]

23. Lock him up he was at a crime scene that had someone killed...........

and then throw away the key...............

[Dopers_Greed]

36. LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP

[agalisgv]

38. Good grief

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised by anything now

[rpannier]

39. For four years during the 2010s, he couldn't see his kids

Better get used to not seeing them again

[TryLogic]

40. He represented the United States of America in the Olympics.

Now supporting sedition? Something wrong with this "picture".