Dinh Quang Hieu

Dinh Quang Hieu, a student at the High School for the Gifted at Hanoi National University, won the gold medal at an international competition for the second time.

At the 49th IChO, organized in Thailand, Hieu got a 92/100 score and ranked 9th among 297 students from 76 countries and territories attending the competition.

At last year’s IChO, organized in Gruzia, he was one of two students winning gold medals. At that time, as an 11th grader and attending an international competition for the first time, Hieu became the top scorer among Vietnamese team members with a 89.76 score.

Hieu said he was surprised and excited when his name was announced as the gold medal winner.

“After I finished solving exam questions and checked with friends, I realized that I could not solve the organic chemistry question perfectly. This really worried me. And I was bursting with happiness when I was told I got the gold medal,” he said.

Asked what helps him gain success, Hieu said the most important thing was studying hard. “You need to try your best at the competition. You need to keep calm when solving exam questions and believe in yourself,” he said.

To prepare for the competition, Hieu spent three months on intensive learning. “I spent 4-5 hours a day on chemistry, not too much. In my free time, I played sports – football and swimming,” he said.

Talking about his plan, Hieu said he will go to the Hanoi Medical University this August, while he will apply for the schools in the US later this year and hopes he can be admitted to the school he dreams of – MIT.

Pham Duc Anh, an 11th grader of the High School for the Gifted under the Hanoi National University, is the youngest among the four Vietnamese competitors. 

With the achievement, Duc Anh’s family has become the first family in Vietnam which has two siblings winning medals at IChOs.

Anh Tuan, the elder brother of Duc Anh, is a physician and was one of the members of the Vietnamese team attending IChO nine years ago. He won the bronze medal at the IChO in 2008, organized in Hungary.

Nguyen Bang Thanh Lam, a 12th grader at the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, said it was a surprise that he won the gold medal.

“I just studied hard and tried my best, and I did not set any goal for myself,” he said.

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