Schmidt started in the 1979/80 season in a total of two World Cup competitions in Zakopane, Poland . In his first competition he was already on the podium with 3rd place for the first time. In the second competition he reached 4th place and barely missed the podium. Despite this good performance, it was the only two World Cup competitions in his career. At the end of the season he and his compatriot Jochen Danneberg finished 33rd in the overall World Cup with 27 points.