Opening Day Of The 29th Annual International Chemistry Olympiad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Rob Peterson, 202/872-4067
Theresa Laranang-Mutlu, 202/872-4371

OPENING DAY OF THE 29TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD

MONTREAL, July 13 -- More than 175 of the world's top high school chemistry students arrive here today for the 29th annual International Chemistry Olympiad, which runs through July 21st. The Olympians, who represent 47 countries, will attempt laboratory experiments and a rigorous exam designed at a level that would challenge most second or third-year college students. The competition takes place at McGill University. Participation of the U.S. team is sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

Students also will have the opportunity to visit attractions in Montreal, La Ronde, Quebec City, and Ottawa. The mayor of Montreal and live music will mark the opening ceremonies on July 14th, and the festivities conclude with an awards ceremony, live music, speakers, and a gala dinner on July 21st.

The U.S. Team:

Ian Baker; the MacCallie School, Chattanooga,Tenn.

Jason Chen; Claremont High School, Claremont, Calif.

Andrew Heckerling; Niles West High School, Skokie, Ill.

Jordan Krall; Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood, Calif.

The Canadian Team:

Simon Blais; College Merici, Quebec City

Scott Crawford; Western Canada High School, Calgary

Isibelle Defhaief; College Saint Francoif Xavier Garneau, Quebec City

Audrey Lovett; John Abott College, Montreal

The major Canadian sponsors of the Olympiad include: Merck Frosst Canada Inc., Inco Limited, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada's National Research Council, and Industry Canada. Final preparation and translation of the examinations will be completed at Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec.

7/10/97 More ... #12175

The Olympiad originated in 1968 with a competition between Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary. Western Europe first participated in 1974, and the U.S. joined in 1984. The Russian team placed first with four gold medals at last year's Olympiad held in Moscow.

The four-member U.S. team was chosen from a group of 20 finalists who studied at a two- week chemistry training camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. These 20 were chosen from an original group of about 10,000 students nationwide.

XXIX International Chemistry Olympiad Home Page: http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/science/chemistry/bookmarks/outreach/CCO/ICO.html

# # # #

The American Chemical Society, founded in 1876, is the World's largest scientific society, with more than 151,000 members.