Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Three high school students from Uzbekistan have been awarded gold medals at the 59th International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad, held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. This prestigious competition is regarded as one of the most authoritative in the world and is recognized by UNESCO as equivalent in status to international science Olympiads.

Named after the great Russian scientist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, the Olympiad is renowned for its high level of difficulty and interdisciplinary approach, demanding not only in-depth theoretical knowledge from its participants but also creative problem-solving skills. The event is organized by the Faculty of Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Melnichenko Foundation. In 2025, teams from 40 countries took part, including Austria, China, Japan, Brazil, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and others.

As part of the Decade of Science and Technology announced by the President of the Russian Federation, the competition awarded a total of 19 gold, 38 silver, and 58 bronze medals.

The Uzbek national team achieved outstanding results, with Daler Rakhimov, Mirdzhakhon Mukhammadov, and Ibrokhim Temurov each winning a gold medal. All three are students of the Abu Ali ibn Sina Specialized School, underscoring the high quality of education and training provided by this institution.

In addition to the Uzbek winners, gold medals were awarded to participants from Russia (10 medals), Vietnam (2 medals), and Hungary (1 medal).

The overall winner of the Olympiad was Zhao Yaoxi from China, who received the 1st Degree Academician Lunin Prize. The 2nd Degree was awarded to Vladimir Elistratov from Russia (Center for Pedagogical Excellence, Moscow), and the 3rd Degree went to Wang Xuantong, another student from China.

Zhao Yaoxi was also named “Best Theorist,” while Kazakhstan’s Mendigali Kaldybay was recognized as “Best Practitioner.”