Dan Kellner

Daniel Kellner (born April 16, 1976, in Livingston, New Jersey) is an American Olympic foil fencer.

Dan Kellner
Personal information
Born (1976-04-16) April 16, 1976
Livingston, New Jersey, United States
ResidenceBrooklyn, New York
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight83 kg (183 lb)
Sport
SportFencing
Weaponfoil
Handleft-handed
Retired2006
FIE rankingranking (archive)
Medal record
Men's foil
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
2003 Santo DomingoIndividual Foil
2003 Santo DomingoTeam Foil
1999 WinnipegTeam Foil
Maccabiah Games
2005 IsraelIndividual Foil

Early life

Kellner was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and is Jewish.[1][2]

“When I was 13, I had a video game called ‘Summer Games,’ with all the Olympic Sports on it, even fencing," said Kellner. "I couldn’t make the fencing game work very well. So, I asked my mother about fencing, and she said that my high school offered it, and that I should go and see the coach. The coach turned out to be Olympic Armorer Ted Li.”

Kellner attended the Pingry School ('94).[3]

Fencing career

College

Fencing for Columbia University, where he graduated in 1998 with a degree in American History, Kellner was a 4-time All-American[4] and 3-time All-Ivy League First Team Selection (1995-97-98).[5]

He was the NCAA Fencer of the Year in 1998.

Quitting and comeback

After failing to make the 2000 Olympic team, Kellner retired from fencing. He stopped working out, gained weight (at one point, weighing 205 pounds), and started smoking.

A year later, he walked back into the club and his love for the sport seized him again. He came back. He got back in shape, stopped smoking, and earned his way back to win a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games, and his first national championship in 2004.

US Nationals

Kellner was formerly ranked No. 1 in men's foil in the U.S.

He won the foil competition at the U.S. fencing national championships in 2004. Kellner rallied from a 0–6 and 1–7 deficit in his semifinal against Jed Dupree, countered with 7 straight touches, and took the lead at 8–7. The bout went to 14–14 before Kellner won it. In the championship bout, Kellner beat Jonathan Tiomkin 15–6.[6]

He finished 2nd in 1997, 1998, and 2000.

World Cups

He had podium finishes in World Cups for several seasons in a row.

Olympics

In the Olympics in Athens he came in 16th, and the U.S. team came in 4th.[7]

Kellner, seeded 26th, won his first bout, upsetting # 7 seed Cedric Gohy of Belgium, 15–12. His next bout, in the round of 16, was against Richard Kruse of Great Britain. In a very close match, in which he had been leading 14–12, Kellner lost 15–14.[8][9]

Maccabiah Games

Kellner decided to skip the 2005 World Cup in Vancouver and the US nationals so he could compete in the 2005 Maccabiah Games in Israel.[10] His international ranking slipped from No. 11 to 12 as a result. He led the U.S. delegation's march into the Ramat Gan stadium alongside legendary swimmers Mark Spitz and Lenny Krayzelburg.[11]

Kellner won the silver medal at the 2005 Maccabiah Games, losing to Israel's Tomer Or 15–9.[12][13][14][15]

Pan American Games

Kellner won a team silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Canada.

He also won gold medals, both team and individual, at the 2003 Pan American Games. The team trailed 40–30 entering the last match, which Kellner won 15–4, setting off a celebration.[16]

Teammate Jon Tiomkin said: “There are no words to describe it. No words at all. That was absolutely incredible. I've never seen a comeback like that in my life at such a high level competition and with such high stakes.”[17]

US Team Captain

He was the captain of the U.S. men's foil National Team squad.

He is a 7-time world championship team member.

Miscellaneous

See also

References
  1. Day by Day in Jewish Sports History - Bob Wechsler
  2. "Dan Kellner"
  3. Frezza, Harry Jr. "Central Jersey's 7 Olympians gear up", Courier News (New Jersey), July 24, 2004. Accessed February 11, 2011. "Fencer Dan Kellner, a Warren Township native and 1994 graduate of The Pingry School in Bernards, will compete in individual and team foil events."
  4. "x". Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  5. "x". Archived from the original on March 17, 2006. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  6. "x". Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  7. "Dan Kellner Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-12-23. Retrieved 2007-02-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "x". Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  12. "World News - Fencing.Net". Archived from the original on 2012-12-09.
  13. "x". Archived from the original on January 15, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  16. "IDSnews.com". 6 June 2006. Archived from the original on June 6, 2006.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. "FENCING: Quotes from Gold Medal Team Making History". United States Olympic Committee. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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