Last March US Epee fencer Seth Kelsey found out that he was pictured on a stamp issued by the African republic of Benin.
The stamp which commemorates the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games honors different sports one of the stamp is for fencing and shows Kelsey from the 2004 Olympics.
“I totally was surprised,” Kelsey said. “I didn’t know anything about it, but I thought it was pretty cool.”
Kelsey is in Beijing as a member of the United States Fencing Team to compete in the individual epee event. Currently ranked 5th in the world, he is among the per-Olympic medal favorites. Sports Illustrated picked Kelsey to win bronze in their Olympic Preview issue (July 27th).
The United States has never won an Olympic medal in men’s epee, so this would be an historic first.
“After I read that I was one of the favorites, I felt a little jolt of pressure,” Kelsey said. “I had to remind myself to take things one step at a time.” This is Kelsey’s second Olympics and that brings some comfort. “I’m just as excited about this time, but I think it will be less startling than Athens,” Kelsey said. “The Olympics are something you train for all your life. It seems almost like a dream when you’re there. It’s hard to take in everything, but I’m going to try and see it all again.”
Kelsey is a member of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program and has been selected to represent the United States in the 2008 Olympics. As a world class athlete, he trains at the USOC in Colorado and competes in men’s epee.