Adolf Schmal facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 18 September 1872 Dortmund, German Empire |
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| Died | 28 August 1919 (aged 46) Salzburg, Austria |
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Medal record
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Felix Adolf Schmal (born September 18, 1872 – died August 28, 1919) was an amazing athlete from Austria. He was a talented fencer and a fast racing cyclist. Adolf was born in Dortmund, Germany, and later passed away in Salzburg, Austria. He became famous for competing in the very first modern 1896 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece.
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Adolf Schmal at the 1896 Olympics
Adolf Schmal traveled to Athens, Greece, for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. He was ready to compete in both cycling and fencing.
Cycling Challenges
On April 8, 1896, Adolf started the 100 km cycling race. This was a very long and tough race. Unfortunately, like many other cyclists, he could not finish it.
Fencing Drama
The very next day, Adolf competed in the sabre fencing event. He started strong, winning his first two matches. But then, something unusual happened. The King and his group arrived, and the officials decided to restart the entire event! In the restarted competition, Adolf only won one out of his four matches.
Winning Medals
After a day of rest, Adolf was back on his bike. He showed his skill by winning two bronze medals! In the time trial, he finished with a time of 26 seconds. This matched the time of Stamatios Nikolopoulos from Greece. However, Nikolopoulos won a special race-off, so Adolf earned the bronze medal. He also won a bronze medal in the 10 km race. He finished third behind two French cyclists, Léon Flameng and Paul Masson.
Gold Medal Glory
On April 13, Adolf Schmal achieved his biggest victory. He won a gold medal in the incredibly difficult 12 hour race! Seven cyclists started this endurance race. By lap 10, Adolf had already ridden so well that he had passed everyone else. For the rest of the race, he stayed close to the English cyclist Frederick Keeping. Only Adolf and Keeping managed to finish the entire 12-hour race.
Adolf Schmal as a Writer
Besides being a great athlete, Adolf Schmal was also a talented journalist, just like his father. Later, he became an author. He often wrote under the name Adolf Schmal-Filius. His most well-known book was published in 1904. It was called "Ohne Chauffeur," which means "Without a Driver." This book was a helpful guide for motorcyclists.
