Scheff set a long course European and World record of 2:31.6 in the 200-meter freestyle on 11 November 1908 in Vienna, Austria that held through 12 December 1924. His 200-meter record held as a world record that held through 9 September 1910. He was attending school in 1906 when the Austrian Olympic Committee intervened in his schooling to allow him three weeks leave to compete in the
1906 Intercalated Games in
Athens. Scheff subsequently won the gold medal by a two second margin in the
400 metre freestyle. He swam as part of the
4×250 metre freestyle relay team, which did not complete the event.
1908 Olympics Two years later he was in
London for the
1908 Summer Olympics, and again entered three events. He reached the semi-finals of the
1500 metre freestyle swimming a 24:25.4 in the second semi-final heat, but didn't complete the final, where British swimmer Henry Taylor, with a time of 22:48.4 again took the gold medal. He qualified for the semi-finals of the
100 metre freestyle, by swimming a 1:11.4 in his preliminary heat, but did not swim in the semi-finals.
1912 Stockholm Olympics Scheff trained Austria's 1912 women's Olympic swim team that won the bronze medal with a combined time of 6:27.0 in the
4×100 m freestyle behind the gold medal British and silver medal German team. The Austrian women's relay team was composed of
Klara Milch,
Josephine Sticker,
Margarete Adler and
Berta Zahourek, who were considered the most accomplished Austrian women's swimmers prior to the first World War. At the
1912 Summer Olympics in
Stockholm Scheff participated in the
water polo tournament as part of the Austrian team which finished in fourth place. He was scheduled to participate in the 100 and 400-meter freestyle, but did not swim in his preliminary heat. His daughter
Gertraud Scheff was already qualified for the
1940 Summer Olympics in
Tokyo, when the games were cancelled.
Honors Scheff was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1988. In his honor,
Mödling, 15 km South of Vienna, named a street "Dr. Otto Scheff-Weg". ==See also==