USA Wins 65th International Math Olympiad, Defeats China by 2 Points

Jul 21, 2024, 01:44 PM

The United States has won the 65th International Math Olympiad (IMO), defeating China by a narrow margin of 2 points. The IMO, regarded as the hardest math test for high schoolers, consists of a grueling nine-hour exam with six challenging questions. The U.S. team, composed of six students, included Jordan Lefkowitz (17, Connecticut), Krishna Pothapragada (18, Illinois), Jessica Wan (18, Florida), Alexander Wang (16, New Jersey), Qiao (Tiger) Zhang (16, California), and Linus Tang (18). This victory marks a significant achievement for the U.S., particularly highlighting the contributions of immigrant families, as the team had a notable representation of mostly Chinese-American students. China’s Haojia Shi achieved a perfect score for the second consecutive year, making him the seventh person to ever do so. South Korea secured third place, narrowly beating India by one point.