With a fencing mask, sabre and a racing bike, Schmal got a train ticket and headed for
Athens,
Greece for the first Olympics, and on 8 April 1896, he competed in the
100 km cycling race, but like seven other starters from the original ten he didn't finish the race. The next day he was competing in the
sabre fencing event, and was looking at a medal having won both his opening two rounds, but then enter the King and his entourage and the officials decided to start the event again, in which Schmal only won one out of his four rounds. he also finished in third place in the
10 km race behind the French duo of
Léon Flameng and winner
Paul Masson. On 13 April, Schmal won his gold medal in the
12 hour race, seven cyclists started the race and by lap 10 Schmal had lapped them all, so he then kept on the wheel of Englishman
Frederick Keeping for the rest of the race, only Schmal and Keeping finished the race. ==Writing==