Icon: enlarge
Klete Keller at the 2007 World Cup, where he was also part of the USA's long freestyle relay
Photo: Vladimir Rys / Bongarts / Getty Images
In sports it is often only tenths of a second that create heroes.
The width of the tire or the tip of your toe protrusion, fingers first on the wall.
And it was such a mini-moment that made the Klete Keller, who also swam with Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte for gold, into the Klete Keller who was supposed to capture the victory for those superstars at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Australia versus the USA - a lovingly cultivated hostility in swimming.
While the Australians around a certain Ian Thorpe had pushed the Americans from the throne over the 4x100 meter freestyle for the first time in Olympic history at the home games in 2000, it was the US quartet four years later that the Australians dominated the 4x200 for many years Meter freestyle broke: Phelps had laid the foundation in Athens, and Keller, as the final swimmer, saved the narrow distance ahead of the ever closer Olympic champion Thorpe by 13 hundredths of a second to the finish.
Icon: enlarge
Klete Keller, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay: 4x200 freestyle Olympic champions 2004
Photo: Donald Miralle / Getty Images
Keller was also part of the 2005 and 2007 world championship seasons, had already won silver with her in Sydney, was at least used in the run-up to the gold relay at the 2008 games, and won two Olympic bronze medals in the 400 meter freestyle.
But it is the race from Athens that you need to know about in order to understand Klete Keller and his story after his active career.
Read more with Spiegel Plus
More perspectives, more understanding.
Your advantages with SPIEGEL +
Icon: Check
SPIEGEL as a magazine
as an app, e-paper and on the e-reader
Icon: Check
All articles on SPIEGEL.de
Exclusive texts for SPIEGEL + readers
Icon: Check
Try one month for free
Cancel anytime online
A price
only € 19.99 per month
One month for € 0.00
Try now for 0.00 € Buy nowArrow to the right
Already have a digital subscription? Register here
Restore iTunes subscription
SPIEGEL + is processed via your iTunes account and paid for with a purchase confirmation.
24 hours before it expires, the subscription is automatically renewed by one month at the current price of € 19.99.
You can cancel the subscription at any time in the settings of your iTunes account.
In order to use SPIEGEL + outside of this app, you must link the subscription to a SPIEGEL ID account immediately after purchase.
With the purchase you accept our general terms and conditions and privacy policy.