Klete Keller anchored the U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay final with Michael Phelps at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The Americans won in 7:07.33, edging Australia by 0.13 seconds. Phelps led off, followed by Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay, before Keller swam the decisive anchor leg in 1:45.53. Keller held off Australia’s Ian Thorpe, who produced a faster individual split but could not quite erase the American lead.
The relay was notable because the United States reclaimed Olympic gold in the event for the first time since Atlanta 1996. Scott Goldblatt and Dan Ketchum also swam for the American team in the heats, but they were not part of the final lineup. That distinction can cause confusion when all six medal-winning swimmers are listed together.
Australia finished second in 7:07.46, while Italy took bronze in 7:11.83. The victory was one of Phelps’s six gold medals in Athens and helped begin the relay rivalry that continued through the next Olympic cycle.