Seaquam Secondary student Yiu Him Chung is set to compete in the Canadian Mathematics Olympiad next month after tallying a perfect score in the national open this past fall.
The Grade 10 student, who goes by “Vincent,” achieved a perfect 80/80 in the 2020 Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge, which he wrote on Oct. 29, 2020, a score seldom achieved at the competition.
“I took part in the competition last year, so I understood what was involved and knew I would need to practice hard in order to do well this year,” Chung said. “I prepared for this year’s competition by trying to solve different maths problems every night.
“Even so, I was very surprised to win, and especially to achieve a perfect score as I was struggling to answer the last question right up until the final seconds of the competition. But I knew it was important not to give up.
“I would really like to thank my mom and dad, and my teachers at Seaquam for their ongoing guidance and support.”
Chung beat nearly 6,000 other students across all grades to receive the competition’s top accolade, the Canadian Champion Gold Award, and took home gold in five other categories (B.C. Zone 2 — Grade 10, B.C. Zone 2 Champions, Best in British Columbia — Grade 10, British Columbia Champions, and Best in Canadian Division — Grade 10).
“Vincent’s accomplishments at the competition are remarkable and we are extremely proud of him,” said Seaquam principle Rick Mesich. “Competitions are an important part of learning mathematics and a fun activity for students of all ages, and we always encourage and support our students to participate.”
The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) is the principle qualifier for the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO), the nation’s premier advanced mathematics competition. The COMC is open to any student with an interest in and grasp of high-school math, and aims to encourage students to explore, discover and learn more about math and problem solving.
Depending on their grade level and performance, students participating in the COMC also have the opportunity to be considered for university scholarships, get invited to math camps, garner awards and win prizes.
Top students at the COMC are invited to write the CMO, which this year takes place on March 11 and has a top prize of $2,000.
Based on results from the COMC, the CMO and other national and international mathematics competitions and camps, the Canadian Mathematical Society will select six students to compete as part of Math Team Canada at the 62nd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), scheduled to be held July 14-24 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision on the format of the 2021 IMO will be made in April.)
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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