Nguyen Phuong Thao, a 7th grader from Olympia Schools, won a gold medal in Math at the 2024 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO), marking her second medal at the competition.
Before winning the gold medal in Math at this year's International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO), Phuong Thao had already claimed a silver medal in Science at the same competition last year.
Phuong Thao just won the gold medal in Math at the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad.
IMSO is a global competition in Math and Science for students under 13. This year, Vietnam sent 24 students to compete in two subjects - Math and Science - 12 students in each. Nguyen Phuong Thao, a 7th grader from Olympia Schools, was one of six Vietnamese contestants to win a gold medal in Math. This was Thao’s second time winning a medal at this competition.
“Even though I regret some of my answers in the geometry section, I’m still very happy to have changed the color of my medal,” Thao said.
From a young age, Phuong Thao demonstrated a quick ability to absorb knowledge and was always curious about new things. Her parents encouraged her to explore many fields. In addition to learning experiences, Thao also participated in competitions to build confidence and conquer new knowledge.
In discovering her interests, Thao realized she had a passion for Math. “There are many fascinating aspects to Math. I love reflecting and finding multiple solutions to challenging problems. Additionally, Math is applicable in many areas of life, such as calculating bank interest rates,” she explained.
Driven by this passion, Thao participated in several international Math competitions throughout her five years in primary school, winning medals in all of them. Throughout her Math journey, her father was a constant companion.
“My dad also studied Math in school, so we often solve and debate difficult problems together. With him by my side, learning Math becomes even more enjoyable.”
Vietnamese students at the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO).
Despite her love for Math, Thao decided to test her skills in Science at last year’s IMSO, seeking new experiences. She earned a silver medal but felt slightly disappointed with the result. This year, she returned to Math, confident in her strong foundation, hoping to change her medal’s color.
This year, the IMSO was held nearly two months earlier than usual, making preparation more rushed. Thao had only five weeks to study for the national round and two weeks to prepare for the international round. Dang Ngoc My Anh, vice headteacher of class 7H3 and Thao’s coach, said both she and Thao were determined to give their all for the competition.
Thao often struggled with geometry questions, so in addition to helping her find new methods for algebra problems, My Anh supported her in overcoming difficulties with geometry tasks.
After passing the national round, Thao was selected to represent Vietnam at the international competition in China. During the two intense weeks of preparation for the international round, three other Math teachers joined My Anh in training Thao. Every evening, Thao continued to study on her own and practice for about 3-4 hours, often finishing at 1 a.m.
What Thao found most enjoyable during her preparation was the range of emotions she experienced when tackling difficult problems. “It’s thrilling when you encounter a great problem with multiple solutions, or that moment of relief when you finally solve a challenging problem that had you racking your brain,” she said.
Phuong Thao with her teacher, Dang Ngoc My Anh.
Thao experienced this same range of emotions during the international competition. The Math test at IMSO consisted of three sections: multiple-choice answers (60 minutes), written responses (90 minutes), and exploration (120 minutes), covering topics like algebra, geometry, and combinatorics.
According to Thao, the third section was the most challenging because it required contestants to provide multiple solutions to a single problem, encouraging multi-dimensional thinking to find the best answer.
Not too confident in her performance, it wasn’t until she stepped onto the podium to receive her gold medal that Thao finally “breathed a sigh of relief” for completing the competition successfully.
Having accompanied her student throughout the preparation process, My Anh had a sense that Thao was capable of winning a medal. However, when she learned that her student had achieved the highest result, the young teacher was “overwhelmed with joy.”
My Anh praised Thao’s experience in competitions, which gave her a solid mindset and quick problem-solving abilities. “She always finds solutions quickly, enthusiastically takes on assignments, and is proactive in following the plans set by her teachers. For example, Thao sets a timer when practicing problems and can assess her own abilities. If she feels uncertain about a particular area, she proactively asks her teachers for more related problems to strengthen her skills.”
With these achievements, My Anh hopes this will motivate Thao to continue pursuing her passion for Math in the future.
Vietnam began sending students to participate in IMSO in 2014. The 21st IMSO took place from October 1 to 6 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, attracting 300 contestants from 18 countries.
All 24 Vietnamese students participating in the competition this year won awards, with nine of them earning gold medals, placing Vietnam second overall, after Singapore. Vietnam’s Math results tied for first place with Singapore, while in Science, they placed second after the same country.
Vietnamnet.vn
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