Russian schoolchildren returned from the International Biology Olympiad with a major victory

Russian schoolchildren won a major victory at the International Biological Olympiad in the United Arab Emirates. The team won 3 gold and 1 silver medal, leaving behind almost three hundred of their peers from dozens of countries. The MK correspondent took a short interview with the guys immediately upon arrival from the UAE.

The Olympiad was held from July 3 to July 11 in the city of El Ain, where the whole color of young biologists from all over the world gathered. With the help of theoretical and practical tasks, their knowledge was tested in areas such as cell biology, anatomy and physiology of plants, genetics, evolution and biochemistry.

From Russia, as well as from other countries, there were four participants. The best of the best, – this is how their teachers and mentors from the Phystechlyceum named after P.L. Kapitsa (Dolgoprudny) and the Moscow school “Center for Pedagogical Excellence”. Phystech students Pyotr Popov, Ivan Demidov and CPM graduate Alisa Timonina won gold medals. Silver – Alisa’s classmate Nikita Vorobyov.

For the current competition of the biological “higher league”, as well as for the previous ones, the guys were “trained” by the employees of the biological faculty of Moscow State University. One of the mentors is Galina Belyakova, Associate Professor of the Department of Mycology and Algology, Deputy Dean for Talented Youth. We didn’t manage to talk to her herself – while the number was being made up, the whole team was on the road, returning to Moscow. But we talked with the deputy director for scientific and methodological work of the Phystech Lyceum. S.P. Kapitsa Elena Salnikova.

– What distinguishes the International Biology Olympiad from all the others? This is that the tasks in it correspond to far from the school level, – says Elena Igorevna. – This is, rather, the level of science, if not last year, then at least ten years ago. Take, for example, such a method as the polymerase chain reaction, which has entered the routine practice of scientific laboratories only in the last 20 years. But it is already in Olympiads, and children are given appropriate tasks. Bioinformatics, which is not at school at all! Sequence alignment, phylogenetics (a field of biological taxonomy – Ed.), establishing kinship in DNA sequences … A very difficult level! And the kids who win the Olympics are brilliant kids, absolutely amazing!

Still, it’s not in vain that each “gold” and “silver” medalist was paid 2.5 and 1.5 million rubles, respectively!

Two winners answered the questions of “MK” right from the road.

“Questions at the Olympiad dealt with the overwhelming majority of topics in biology,” Nikita Vorobyov told us. – The most difficult thing for us was the unusual climate of the UAE. A large number of air conditioners and a lot of water, which we were given, saved us from the heat. I was surprised at first that all foreigners speak English very fluently. We guys from Russia have a normal level of knowledge of the language. For example, I could easily communicate with peers from other countries.”

According to Alisa Timonina, she was most struck in the United Arab Emirates by the fact that “boys and girls lived separately” – in different hotels! As for the assignments, the girl told us that… they weren’t difficult at all. “We were so well prepared that it was not difficult for us to solve problems about both DNA and proteins.”

According to the rector of Moscow State University, Academician Viktor Sadovnichy (three winners are going to enter Moscow State University), the guys demonstrated a deep knowledge of the subject, showed outstanding fighting qualities, the ability to win as a team. Viktor Antonovich also recalled that 2023 is the year of the 70th anniversary of the discovery of DNA, and the victory of the national team will be an inspiring factor for everyone who revives the glory of Russian science.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, July 12, it became known about another victory for Russian schoolchildren, this time in the overall medal standings at the International Mathematics Olympiad, which was held in Japan. The team took part remotely, from the site of the Far Eastern Federal University. Having completed the most difficult tasks in geometry, number theory, algebra, she won five gold and one silver medals.