Bulgarian student became the only one in the world with triple gold at International Chemistry and Biology Olympiads

Viktor Lilov, a student from the Sofia High School of Mathematics, has won three gold medals from prestigious international competitions: the Chemistry and Biology Olympiads and the International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad.

With his achievement, Victor is the only one in the world for the entire history of the Olympiads to win gold medals from the two most prestigious international competitions in biology and chemistry - the International Biology Olympiad and the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Viktor won a gold medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Switzerland 2023, where students from 88 countries participated, and just days ago he also won a gold medal at the International Biology Olympiad in Kazakhstan, where the completion included representatives from 81 countries. Victor also has gold from the International Mendeleev Olympiad in 2024, and with that he has three gold medals from the three strongest competitions in the world in chemistry and biology.

Victor is now busy preparing for the last Olympiad of his competitive career - this year's Chemistry Olympiad in Saudi Arabia. In just a few days our brilliant national team leaves for Riyadh.

"Victor and all the other competitors are strong and ambitious students and what motivates them - perhaps an interest in chemistry. The fact that they are really tireless and when you let them in between classes, they usually start solving other problems," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Donka Tasheva, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy at SU, head of the national chemistry team.

Both biology and chemistry in the modern Olympiads are at an extremely high academic level. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for success for medalists and each of them has an individual approach to preparation. However, the joy of their successes and achievements is undoubtedly shared.