The 46th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) held in Mumbai, India came to a close on July 12. The two candidates from our school, Zhu Lingbang and Wang Xinyu achieved outstanding results in this year’s competition, both winning a gold medal. On their triumphant July 14 homecoming, they received a warm welcome from a group of school representatives, including vice-principal Yang Guohong, directors of Grade 2 and Grade 3, their headteachers and coaches as well as their parents.

Zhu Lingbang entered the National Training Camp ranking 6th among all the domestic candidates and thus gained free admission to Peking University last year, according to Xiang Liyan, his coach. This year, Zhu moved up two places to become the fourth student to be chosen to represent China at the 2015 IPhO. Xiang Liyan described Zhu as an “all-rounder”, who is also enthusiastic in math, the game of Go, and badminton. Zhu is the third student Xiang Liyan has ever coached to win a gold medal at IPhO, following the 2012 IPhO gold medalists Shu Chi and Huang Wenzhuo.

Wang Xinyu, is the first Grade 2 student to be awarded an IPhO gold medal nationwide and also the first gold medalist coached by Zhou Zhidong. According to Zhou, Wang Xinyu didn’t receive systematic training until he entered high school, but he managed to distinguish himself as a world-top candidate in physics at quite a young age. However, Wang’s motivation to explore in the field of physics is not to receive honor but to “benefit the mankind and human society”, as he put it. Zhang Hongxia, Wang’s head teacher, complimented him on his optimistic attitude towards life and his strong sense of responsibility as a member of the class. His active participation in various activities has earned him extra credit. Once, Wang successfully role-played Einstein in the opening ceremony of the school sports meet, presenting his personal perspectives on the spirit of science in a fascinating way.

The two students’ outstanding achievements further illustrate our school’s commitment and capability to nurture talented people for excellence in various fields. Up to now, the total number of gold medals earned by our school at the International Science Olympiads has added up to 24, distributed in the subjects of math, physics, chemistry, biology and information science. Our school can be proud of its students’ extraordinary performance, which should be viewed as a beacon of hope and promise for all the students in pursuit of their dreams in our school.