Alvin Kraenzlein set a record at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris that still stands, thanks to a game-changing hurdling technique he invented while attending a Milwaukee high school.
I visited my alma mater, Riverside High School, to learn more about the Olympian who ran the same track and changed the sport forever.
Long before modern hurdling technique was perfected, athletes would slow down and leap over hurdles. Kraenzlein invented a faster, smoother way by keeping his lead leg straight and never breaking stride.
In 1900 on the world stage in Paris, Kraenzlein did something no track athlete has ever done since. He won four individual gold medals in just three days, dominating sprints, hurdles, and the long jump. Some of those wins were by inches, and one was by a centimeter.
Watch: Milwaukee high school athlete invented modern hurdling and won four gold medals in 1900
It all started at what was then East Side High School, now Riverside. Kraenzlein won five events in a single meet.
More than a century later, that same technique is still being taught and practiced at the school.
Zakaya Williams, a Riverside junior and multi-event athlete who competes in hurdles and throws, focuses heavily on his form.
"It's very important, like arms, trail leg, everything. Once it comes in motion, it’s very big. It can slow you down," Williams said.
Learning where the modern hurdling technique started hits differently for the student-athlete.
"I’m surprised. Now I’m like, that’s a drive to make me wanna go stronger. This is Riverside. We started this, and I wanna continue that," Williams said.
"That gives me hope, low key," Williams said.
Head coach and Riverside alum Toney Fisher said Kraenzlein's legacy drives the program today.
"That’s amazing. As an alumnus myself, every time I see a hurdler go over, that’s all I’m gonna think about," Fisher said.
What started as an experiment became the standard from high school tracks to the Olympic stage. Every hurdler today follows Kraenzlein's leap, and his story started in Milwaukee.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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