The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-09
INSULT BREAKS
WORLD RECORD
Penn. U. Man Sets Mark in Hur-
dies in Anger Over 0ppon-
ent's Treatment.
CHAMPION TELLS STORY,
BUT NOT IN B0ASTlNG
Harvard Athlete Refuses 10
Speak to Adversary Before
Start of Race.

Alvin Kraenzlein. coach of the Michi,,
gan track team and world s record
holde. in the 22o-yard low hurdles. tells
an interesting story of how he came
co win the worlds title in the low
hurdles--a title which he holds and
which. Judging from the inability of
present dav hurdlers to approach his
for another decade.
kraenzlein doesn't tell the story for
the purpose of boasting; rather the OPP
posite, Kraenzlein is anything but a
boaster. He merely told it one day In
a moment of inadvertenee. by way OF
apology for holding the world q record
for the event.
At the time-it WAS back in 1898
KraenZlein was as big as he now is,
only more lanky. He had entered the
University of Pennsylvania the prev.
ions fall, and, with Mike Murphy,
had evolved new system of .hurdling,
which. while the vogue at the present,
was something new and unheard of
then.
First Big Meet.
The Penn track team had gone to
New York city to compete in the
eastern intercollegiate-Kr g
first big meet. In the trial heats of
the hurdles Kraenzlein won without
particular difficulty, as did Bremen of
Harvard. who then held the world 8
record Of % 3.5 seconds. When the
trial heats and semi finals had been run
it was found that Bremen and another
Harvard athlete had survived the eGmi
nation process. while kraenzlein and
another Pennsylvania athlete were the
others who had qualified for the finals.
AS il was my first big meet | was
nervous says Kraenzlein in relating
the incident. 81 had heard lot about
Bremen. and ! hadn Z the slightest no.
tion in the world that l would beat
him. My highest ambition was TO finish
second, or even third. conceded-to
myself at Ieast-that Bremen would
win the race hands down.
Iremer Refuses TO Speak.
While we were standing around the
heat / was admiring Bremen, and
finally ] mustered sufficient courage to
go over and extend my hand.
81 am kraenzlein of Pennsyl |
vania, | said, 'and We heard SO much
of You that ! d like TO know you
''Bremer looked at me second, then
turned away as if he had seen nothing. |
! flushed. then turned white, and
walked away. | was so angry that / |
don Z believe l knew quite what / was
doing. The starter called us TO our po-
sitions. but all the time we were get |
ting IN our marks and getting set /
didn't have a single thought except |
that I'd beat him or die in the at |
Tempt
''We were off together with the
crack of the gun. and that IS all / re
member. The next thing l knew Mike
Murphy was standing by my side in
the dressing-room congratulating me.
He told me ] had beaten Bremen; that
! had lowered the world IS record by a |
full second and a lot of details which |
] fear were tri1c exaggerated. He
always insisted that. although we were
nearly together when we cleared the
first hurdle, I beat him SO badly that
whom | was finishing he was taking the
last barrier.
Surprised at Fast Time.
"NaturalIy there was some surprise
when the time. :23 3-5, was announced
At first even the timers wouldn t be-
lieye it. but there were three of them
and they all caught me in the same
time. They said, too, that if Bremen
could run in IA 3-5 my time must have
beeu full second faster, Judging from
the distance by which | led him to the
tape.
'fWhile Murphy was talking to me
at the door. Murphy went to the door
and there stood Bremen. He came over
aud apo]ogized for his insult and, of
course. had no reason TO be angry any
longer. 1t had hurt at the time, but it
was Just what ] needed to put me on
edge TO run the race of my life.
'sDo ! think / would have ever won
the world g championship without that
incident? Maybe so. but | doubt it. ,"