Fifth Place in Team Ranking and Best Individual Score for Iranian Students at the Math Olympiad

Six Iranian students at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Rio succeeded in securing the fifth place in the world with two gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal. In individual scoring, one Iranian student is ranked at the top alongside students from Vietnam and Japan. The five countries that achieved the top five ranks at this year's Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are South Korea, China, Vietnam, the United States, and Iran. Amir Mojtabi Sabour scored 35 out of 42 points, earning first place among 615 participants in Rio; other students who also achieved first place include Hang Ho Chuk from Vietnam and a student from Japan. Amir Mojtabi Sabour and Aryo Lotfi Jandqi won gold medals, while Taha Miranzadeh, Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Mahdavi, and Farhood Rostamkhani brought home silver medals, and Soroush Taslimi received a bronze medal. Iran ranked 24th last year and 7th the year before that. In 1998, Iran secured first place in the Olympiad. The Iranian team has participated in this Olympiad since 1985. The first Olympiad was held in 1959. Iranian students have competed 32 times with other students, resulting in 43 gold medals, 92 silver medals, 39 bronze medals, and 3 special awards based on information published on the official Olympiad website. Iran's fifth place in Rio is the best ranking since 2005, when Iranian students achieved fourth place in the world. In 2008, Iran also reached fifth place. Maryam Mirzakhani, the brilliant Iranian mathematician who recently passed away, won gold medals in this Olympiad in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, she scored all 42 points and secured first place. Gold medals are awarded for scores of 25 points and above. Competitors are also ranked based on individual scores. The maximum number of participants in this Olympiad is six. The previous two Olympiads were held in Thailand and Hong Kong, and the 58th Olympiad in Brazil took place from July 21 to 31. Based on the number of gold medals, students from China, South Korea, the United States, Russia (and the former Soviet Union), or Hungary are among the most honored in the International Mathematical Olympiad.