Daniel "Dan" Kellner is an American Olympic foilfencer.
Early life
Kellner was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and is Jewish. “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.
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 and 3-time All-Ivy League First Team Selection. 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, 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. He finished 2nd in 1997, 1998, and 2000.
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. 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.
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. 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. Kellner won the silver medal at the 2005 Maccabiah Games, losing to Israel's Tomer Or 15–9.
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. 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.”
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.
