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Five secondary school students representing Hong Kong at the 41st International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Croatia proudly returned home today (July 26) with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.
This is the seventh year that Hong Kong students have participated in this Olympiad, beginning in 2004, and the fifth team to win gold after successes in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009.
Silver medallist Andy Loo (St Paul's Co-educational College), a Secondary Four student, is the youngest contestant ever to represent Hong Kong in the IPhO. Contestants in the Olympiad are usually Secondary Six (S6) students or those just under the age of 20 from different countries/regions. It is very rare that a student of a younger age achieves such a good result.
Gold medallist Jonathan Ma Han-son (S6, Sing Yin Secondary School) was previously awarded first prize in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad held in February 2010.
The bronze medallists are S6 students Tang Wai-ho (Baptist Wing Lung Secondary School), Tsang Hok-kan (Shun Tak Fraternal Association Leung Kau Kui College) and Laurence Leung Yik-lok (King's College).
The good results this year mark the success of co-operation among The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE), the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Education Bureau (EDB). The students are trainees of the Physics Enhancement Programme commissioned to HKUST by The HKAGE. With outstanding performances in the Hong Kong Physics Olympiad 2009, they were selected to take part in a series of enhancement courses before competing in the IPhO 2010. The delegates' trip was funded by the EDB.
The IPhO this year was held from July 17 to 25 in Zagreb, Croatia, with about 400 contestants from around 82 countries/regions. The event is aimed at promoting education in physics, strengthening interaction and co-operation among experts in physics worldwide and training and inspiring teenagers who have enormous potential in physics.
The leader of the Hong Kong Team was Professor Chen Tian-wen of HKUST, and the deputy leader was Professor Du Sheng-wang of HKUST. Physics teachers Mr Yung Lit-hung and Mr Dik Wai-yin, from Sing Yin Secondary school and Law Ting Pong Secondary school respectively, and Mr Leung Ka-hei of HKUST served as the observers.
Ends/Monday, July 26, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:39
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