The South African team taking part in the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) attained their best ranking in the last 25 years by finishing 38th out of 110 countries, according to The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF).
The IMO, which took place in Australia from 10 to 20 July, is one of the biggest and most important mathematics competitions in the world, where high school learners from over 100 countries compete to show off their mathematics skills.
This year, The People’s Republic of China ranked first, followed by the United States, and the Republic of Korea.
The competition takes place over two days, where each learner must solve three tough problems in 4½ hours each day. After the competition, the leaders and teachers double-check all the answers to make sure they are marked fairly and correctly.
The learners are ranked based on how many points they score. Medals are given to the top students, but only about half of them get a medal. The medals are given out in a way that for every gold medal, there are about two silver medals and three bronze medals. If a learner does not win a medal, but scores seven points on at least one problem, they get an honourable mention.
Team SA results:
- Youkyum Kim (Grade 12, Reddam House Durbanville, Cape Town, Western Cape) – Silver Medal
- Moied Baleg (Grade 12, The Settlers High School, Belville, Western Cape) – Bronze Medal
- Eli Williams (Grade 11, Westerford High School, Cape Town, Western Cape) – Bronze Medal
- Pocoyo Pun (Grade 10, Elkanah House, Cape Town, Western Cape) – Bronze Medal
- Yian Xu (Grade 12, Redhill High School, Sandton, Gauteng) – Bronze Medal
- Ellen Grant-Smith (Grade 12, Westerford High School, Cape Town, Western Cape) – Honourable Mention
Professor Seithuti Moshokoa, the SAMF’s executive director, said he is very proud of the team. “We’re so pleased with how our team did this year. They worked really hard, and this achievement shows just how talented they are.”
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