 |
Alvin KraenzleinAmerican track and field athlete
Date of Birth: 12.12.1876
Country:  USA |
Content:
Early Life and Career
Alvin Kraenzlein was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied dentistry. He earned his first track and field title in 1897 by winning the 220-yard hurdles at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships. Over the next few years, he earned numerous titles, winning a combined five AAU championships in the hurdles and long jump. Notably, Kraenzlein pioneered a new technique for hurdling, leading with his front leg straight, a technique still used by many athletes today.
1900 Olympic Games
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, Kraenzlein competed in four events, winning each one. On July 14, he competed in both the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump. In the 110-meter hurdles, he won his semifinal and then the final, setting an Olympic record. In the long jump, which spanned July 14 and 15, American Meyer Prinstein led after the first day, with Kraenzlein just behind. Prinstein declined to compete the following day due to religious observance (it was a Sunday), and Kraenzlein edged him out by a single centimeter, relegating his compatriot to second place. The runner-up was so incensed that he punched the champion in the face.
On July 15, Kraenzlein also competed in the 60-meter dash. He won both his semifinal and the final, in a time of seven seconds, capturing his third gold medal. On July 16, he competed in his final event, the 200-meter hurdles. He won both his preliminary and final heats, becoming a four-time champion and the most decorated athlete of the Games.
Post-Olympic Career
After the Olympics, Kraenzlein set several world records in four different disciplines. He then retired from competition and pursued a career as a dentist. However, he soon returned to coaching, working with the University of Michigan team. In 1913, he signed a five-year contract with the German national team for $50,000. However, with the outbreak of World War I, he became an army instructor. After the war, Kraenzlein coached the Cuban national team and then the University of Pennsylvania team until his death from heart disease on January 6, 1928. In 1985, he was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame.
