Olympic Games At the 1896 Olympics only the first two received a medal; silver for first and bronze for second. The current three-medal format was introduced at the 1904 Olympics. From 1948 onward athletes placing fourth, fifth, and sixth have received certificates, which became officially known as victory diplomas; in 1984 victory diplomas for seventh- and eighth-place finishers were added. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners were also given olive wreaths. The IOC does not keep statistics of medals won on a national level (except for team sports), but NOCs and the media record
Austria at the 1896 Summer Olympics Austria at the 1896 Summer Olympics Three sportsmen from Austria competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics. Though Austria was then a part of Austria-Hungary, most sources separate Austrian competitors from the Hungarians at the 1896 Games. Austria finished in seventh position in the final medal rankings, with two gold medals and five medals overall. All three of Schmal's medals were won in the cycling competitions, even though he competed in two different sports. He competed in four events, earning a top three finish in three of them. In the time trial event, Schmal tied for second place Stamatios Nikolopoulos. A