61 Facts About Klete Keller

Klete Derik Keller was born on March 21,1982 and is an American former competitive swimmer.

In January 2021, Keller took part in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

Klete Keller was indicted on seven charges by a grand jury the next month, and later pleaded guilty to a single felony charge as part of a plea bargain.

Klete Keller was born March 21,1982, in Las Vegas to mother Karen and father Kelly.

Klete Keller grew up in Phoenix and graduated from Arcadia High School in Phoenix in 2000.

At the 1998 Summer Nationals, Klete Keller was named "Rookie of the Meet".

Klete Keller competed in the 400-meter freestyle, placing fifth behind Chad Carvin, Erik Vendt, Ugur Taner, and Mark Warkentin.

Klete Keller won gold in the 5k open water race at the 1999 Phillips 66 National Championships with a time of 46:51, earning him a spot in the same event the 1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Sydney.

Klete Keller was a member of the 1999 United States National Junior Team.

Klete Keller attended the University of Southern California for two years from 2000 to 2001, but left school to focus on swimming.

In both 2000 and 2001, Klete Keller was named to the United States swimming "All-Star Team".

Klete Keller won a bronze medal in the 400 meter freestyle at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Klete Keller was one of many 2000 Olympic swimming medalists from The Race Club World Team, a summer swimming camp in Florida.

In 2001, Klete Keller won the spring national title in the 200 meter freestyle.

Later that year at the World Aquatics Championships, Klete Keller won an individual bronze medal in the 200 meter freestyle and a team bronze medal in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.

Klete Keller left USC after his sophomore season, when he went professional, forfeiting his final two years of collegiate sports eligibility.

In 2015, the Reno Gazette-Journal named Klete Keller as the most decorated Olympian ever born in Nevada.

Towards the end of his swimming career, Klete Keller was reported to train for five hours every day, six days per week.

At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Klete Keller won an individual bronze medal in the 400 meter freestyle race and a team silver medal in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.

Klete Keller won the summer 2002 national title in the 400 meter freestyle and was named to the United States Swimming "All-Star Team".

At the 2003 World Aquatics championships, Klete Keller was on the gold-winning American team in the 800 m freestyle.

Klete Keller competed in the 200 meter freestyle, being eliminated after placing last in the semifinals.

Also in 2003, Klete Keller won the spring national title in the 400 meter freestyle.

The American relay of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller were undefeated in competition from those Olympics onward.

At the Olympics, Klete Keller placed fourth in the 200 meter freestyle.

Also in 2004, Klete Keller was named to the United States swimming "All-Star Team".

In 2005, Klete Keller was ranked 7th in the world in the 200m freestyle, 4th in the 400 meter freestyle, and 78th in the 100 meter freestyle.

At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Klete Keller won three medals.

Klete Keller won gold in the 200 meter freestyle, was a member of the gold-winning United States team in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay, and won bronze in the 400 meter freestyle.

Klete Keller competed in the 100 meter freestyle, and the 50 meter freestyle.

In 2007, Klete Keller left Ann Arbor and returned to USC to finish school and train with the Trojan Swim Club under coach Dave Salo.

Klete Keller finally received a degree in public policy and real estate development, having attended both USC and Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti east of Ann Arbor.

Klete Keller later said that ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics, he had considered going to Arizona State University to study criminology.

Klete Keller individually placed tenth in the 400 meter freestyle and 18th in the 200 meter freestyle.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Klete Keller won gold in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.

Klete Keller initially held a series of jobs in sales and finance.

From October 2009 through November 2010, Klete Keller worked at the Ann Arbor, Michigan office of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services.

Klete Keller was identified as a participant in the 2021 United States Capitol attack, where he was seen inside the Capitol rotunda in a crowd of people clashing with police officers.

Klete Keller's presence was reported by several people who saw a video posted by conservative outlet Townhall.

Klete Keller was recognized, in part, because of his height, the fact that he was wearing a US Olympic team jacket, and that his face was unobstructed in the video.

On January 13,2021, for his involvement in the storming of the Capitol, the FBI charged Klete Keller with obstructing law enforcement engaged in official duties, unlawfully entering Capitol grounds, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Klete Keller surrendered himself the next day and federal agents executed a search and seizure warrant on his home.

Klete Keller was released from custody the same day on a personal recognizance bond.

On March 9,2021, Klete Keller pleaded not guilty to seven charges, including civil disorder and witness tampering.

On September 29,2021, as part of a plea bargain, Klete Keller pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstructing an official proceeding before Congress.

Klete Keller pledged to cooperate with any continuing investigation into the attack.

Klete Keller admitted that he later destroyed a phone and a memory card which he had brought with him to the Capitol, and threw away the jacket he wore at the time.

In December 2022, Klete Keller was free on bond pending his sentencing.

Klete Keller faced 21 to 27 months in prison and sentencing was set for July 7,2023.

On June 15,2023, Klete Keller requested a postponement of his sentencing hearing so he could "further facilitate" his cooperation with the ongoing investigation into the Capitol attack.

On December 4,2023, Klete Keller received a sentence of six months home detention and three years probation.

On January 20,2025, Klete Keller received a full pardon by President Donald Trump.

Ahead of the 2004 Summer Olympics, Klete Keller reportedly suffered a period of insomnia and malaise, which resulted in an "emotional breakdown".

In 2018, Klete Keller revealed that in January 2014, after going through both his divorce and becoming unemployed, he had become homeless and lived out of his car for about ten months.

Klete Keller said that, for four years, he lacked visitation rights with his children, making it unable to see them, despite living only minutes away from them.

Klete Keller said that he made the mistake of not having the foresight to plan for his post-swimming career, and felt somewhat "bitter" both towards himself and his sport.

Klete Keller expressed regret for having continued swimming for another four years after the 2004 Olympics, saying that he believed, in retrospect, that he should have retired after the 2004 Summer Olympics and gone back to school.

In 2018, Klete Keller credited his sister Kalyn with having assisted him with what he saw as a personal comeback from his low-point of homelessness, saying that she had taken him in.

About the time he moved to Colorado Springs, Klete Keller regained visitation with his children.

Klete Keller walked into his house finding strangers in a state of undress.

Klete Keller, who witnessed the accident from the boat, swam to the unconscious teenager and performed lifesaving measures while keeping him above water.