According to Xinhua News Agency's report on July 19, the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad concluded in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. All four Chinese high school students participating in the competition won gold medals.
The competition began on the 10th, with 363 athletes from 92 countries and regions around the world participating. After theoretical and experimental exams, the competition awarded 41 gold medals, 74 silver medals, and 112 bronze medals. The Chinese team's four athletes—Wu Bocheng from Changjun Middle School in Changsha, Hunan Province, Wang Luozhenghao from Nankai Middle School in Chongqing, Chen Zhengruizhe from Hangzhou No. 2 Middle School in Zhejiang Province, and Han Qinrun from Guangrao No. 1 Middle School in Shandong Province—finished in second, third, fourth, and fifth place respectively, all earning gold medals. Among them, Han Qinrun won the first place in the theoretical individual event.
The International Chemistry Olympiad is usually held in July each year, lasting about 10 days.
Chinese National Team Members Photographed with Prizes (From left: Wu Bocheng, Wang Luozhenghao, Han Qinrun, Chen Zhengrui) Chinese Chemical Society Official Website
According to the Chinese Olympic Competition Network, the International Chemistry Olympiad is the largest and most influential chemistry competition for middle school students in the world. It originated in Czechoslovakia. Since its first competition in 1968 in Czechia, it has been held every year, with the exception of a one-year hiatus in 1971. In the first competition, only three countries participated, but the number of participating countries has increased over time.
The International Chemistry Olympiad is divided into two parts: theory and experiment. The competition lasts for two days, with the theory session taking 4-5 hours, followed by the experiment session the next day, which lasts about 4 hours. Contestants receive a maximum of 100 points, with 60 points for theory and 40 points for experiment. Based on these scores, there are usually 3-5 first prizes, along with several second and third prizes.
