China Shines at Olympiad

China continued its dominant performance at the 36th International Chemistry Olympiad, which took place from July 18 to 27 in Kiel, Germany. Once again, it was the only team to earn four gold medals.

South Korea also placed well, receiving three gold medals and one silver. Home team Germany took two golds and two silvers, while Poland and Hungary each earned two golds, one silver, and one bronze. All four members of the U.S. team won silver medals.

This year, high school students from more than 60 countries participated in the annual chemistry competition, which featured five-hour practical and theoretical exams. The practical exam included an organic synthesis and a compound analysis, and the theoretical exam consisted of eight five-part questions covering kinetics, thermodynamics, stereochemistry, and other topics. The Russian Federation's Alexey Zelfman obtained the highest total score.

Students also took sightseeing trips, toured chemistry facilities, and made sailing excursions as part of the Olympiad's official program.

The U.S. team--Eric Brown, John L. Kiappes Jr., Emily Tsui, and Fan Zhang--was accompanied by coaches Nadine Szczepanski of MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Ill., and Todd Trout of Lancaster Country Day School, Lancaster, Pa. The students were selected at the end of a two-week study camp held in June.

Brown and Tsui both plan on starting college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall, and Kiappes will attend Rice University. Zhang will return to Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, N.J., for his senior year.