The Russian team did not win all the gold medals at the international student physics competition. In reality, Russian students won only five gold medals out of a total o of thirty-seven.
Some Russian media reported inaccurate information about the results of the 53rd International Physics Olympiad, which took place in Japan’s capital from July 10 to 17, 2023. Launched in Poland in 1967, the International Physics Olympiad is an annual physics competition for high school students.
“Russia set an absolute record at the Physics Olympiad in Tokyo. Our students took all the gold,” the radical right Tsargrad newspaper declared. The same information was posted by the pro-Kremlin online newspaper Lenta.ru: “Russian schoolchildren set an absolute record at the 53rd Physics Olympiad held in Tokyo. The teenagers took all the gold medals. Teams from more than 80 countries participated in the competition.”
Russian students did in fact win five gold medals at this competition. However, this was not the total number of gold medals awarded at this year’s Olympiad. The Chinese and Korean teams matched Russia with five gold medals each. According to the final 2023 medal tally, 37 representatives from different countries took home gold medals. The Chinese and American teams were recognized as the absolute winners in different categories.
Silver medals were awarded to 74 contestants, while 103 students took home bronze medals. 54 contestants were awarded honorable mention, and a special prize for the absolute winner was awarded to Yu Bowen from China. The award for promoting diversity in the International Physics Olympiad, the Commendation for Diversity was awarded to Cyprus, France, Iceland and Ukraine.
Russian students did not compete in the Olympiad under the Russian flag. In the final document tallying up all awarded medals, the Russian students are listed as Oly team, that is, as neutral Olympians. This has been the International Physics Olympiad protocol since 2022 because of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
