WREG.com

Two-time gold medalist Klete Keller charged in Capitol riot

US swimmer Klete Keller smiles after winning the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay swimming heat at the National Aquatics Center in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 12, 2008. (GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images)

(NEXSTAR) – Three-time Olympic medalist Klete Keller has been charged after videos showed the swimmer at the Capitol riot last week, according to court records.

Keller, 38, was charged in Washington D.C.’s U.S. District Court with obstruction of law enforcement, violent entry and disorderly conduct and knowingly entering or staying in a restricted area without lawful authority.


Swimming news site SwimSam first reported Keller’s appearance at the Capitol on Monday. 

Video of the insurrection appears to show a bearded, 6-foot-6-inch Keller inside the Capitol building Wednesday. He appears to be wearing an Olympic team jacket with “USA” printed on the back and sleeves.

According to the New York Times, several former teammates and coaches recognized Keller in the footage, and few were surprised by his presence at the riot. His now-deleted social media accounts included pro-Trump messages.

The 38-year-old medaled in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He was a teammate of Olympian Michael Phelps. 

In a statement Wednesday Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the U.S. Olympics, condemned the violence at the Capitol and said the rioters “do not represent the values of the United States of America or of Team USA.”

She said Team USA athletes “are held to a very high standard” and “what happened in Washington D.C. was a case where that standard was clearly not met.”

In a 2014 interview with NBC Sports, Keller said he regretted “being so focused on swimming.” 

“I should have put a lot more time into thinking about careers and what I was doing after swimming,” he said. 

“You get done, and you’re like, ‘Oh God, what do you do know?” 

He said he held some “bitterness” toward himself and toward the sport. 

The FBI is asking for the public’s help as it continues to investigate the people involved in Wednesday’s violent breach at the U.S. Capitol.  

On Twitter, The Washington Field Office said it is seeking information to “assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, DC.”

The agency is urging people who saw unlawful activity during the violent protests to submit information to them. The FBI has provided an online tips form.