Ukrainian Schoolchildren under the Guidance of a Professor from Karazin University has won Gold for the first time at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament

For the first time in Ukraine’s history, a team of Ukrainian schoolchildren has won gold medals at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament, which took place from July 10 to 16, 2024, in Budapest. The tournament set records for its scale and the number of participating countries, gathering 38 teams from around the world.

Ukraine was represented by a combined team from Kharkiv Lyceum No. 161 "Impulse" and Kharkiv Physical-Technical Scientific Lyceum No. 27, which won the All-Ukrainian Young Physicists’ Tournament held online in January 2024.

The team members are:

• Anna Belyaeva, 11th grade,
• Anton Bukhtaty, 11th grade,
• Anton Matyash, 11th grade,
• Sofya Fedoskina, 9th grade,
• Kyrylo Vladyko, 9th grade.

This team has been trained for many years by the Honored Teacher of Ukraine, Professor Zakhar Maizelis of Karazin University. Since 40-year-old Zakhar is currently unable to cross the border, the team’s official leaders at the tournament were his former students and previous team members, Hryhoriy Ovcharenko and Illia Khoroshko. They actively assisted the team with preparation throughout the year and made a significant contribution to the victory.

Founded in 1988, the International Young Physicists’ Tournament is one of the most prestigious competitions for schoolchildren in the field of physics. Ukraine has been participating in the tournament since 1992, winning 7 bronze and 6 silver medals, including 5 silver medals in the last 5 tournaments under the guidance of Zakhar Maizelis.

Gold medals are awarded to the top 4 teams, which then compete against each other in the finals for 1st to 4th absolute places. Silver and bronze medals are awarded to several of the highest-ranking teams that do not make it to the finals.

This year, the Ukrainian team advanced to the finals from the 3rd position and secured the 2nd absolute place, narrowly missing out to the team from Singapore. The Ukrainians shared the gold medals with teams from Singapore, Poland, and Taiwan.

This is a historic achievement for Ukraine. Congratulations to the winners, and we wish them further success!