SWIMMING IN STUPIDITY

Former Olympic Swimmer Pleads Guilty in Jan. 6 Riot

Keller had the audacity to wear his Olympic team jacket while breaching the Capitol.

Even Olympic medalists can be insurrectionists. U.S. Olympic swimmer Klete Keller, who won gold in the 2004 and 2008 Games, has pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Keller was charged earlier this year after social media videos showed him entering the Capitol wearing a jacket that had “USA” written on the back.

The plea deal will likely help Keller shorten his prison sentence, which could have been greatly extended if he went to trial for his initial seven counts. Shortly after his first charges were made public in January, Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, released a statement condemning his actions. “At home, and around the world, Team USA athletes are held to a very high standard as they represent our country on the field of play and off,” she said. “What happened in Washington, D.C., was a case where that standard was clearly not met.”