Bulgarian Students Win Four Medals at International Chemistry Olympiad in Dubai

Bulgarian students have once again triumphed at the International Chemistry Olympiad, held this year in Dubai. Four young men brought home a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals from the most prestigious competition in the field of chemistry. Competing against the 360 best high school students from 90 countries, the Bulgarian team proved their outstanding abilities on the world stage.

This is a competition where all participants are exceptionally well-prepared — yet only the best and brightest minds walk away with medals.

Damyan Ivanov, gold medalist from Sofia High School of Mathematics (SMG):"Winning a gold medal at such an Olympiad carries significant weight, as this is the most prestigious chemistry competition in the world."

Despite popular belief, these students don’t spend sleepless nights buried in textbooks. Instead, they say their success stems from a genuine interest in chemistry, paired with a disciplined and well-structured study programme.

Viktor Angelov, silver medalist from SMG:
"I wouldn’t say I spend every night studying. I try to learn in moderation and with purpose. The goal of these Olympiads is to cultivate a lasting interest in science — something that goes beyond the competitions themselves."

Often, the students also found themselves racing against the clock.

Viktor Angelov, silver medalist from SMG:
"Perhaps the greatest challenge, as always, is time management. There are many problems, and they are truly complex. While five hours might sound like a long time, in reality, it’s not nearly enough."

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Donka Tasheva, head of the Bulgarian National Chemistry Team: "In just five hours, students must complete both the theoretical and the practical rounds. Time is a critical factor — they must work extremely quickly. The theoretical round is always demanding because it covers all branches of chemistry. They need to switch gears rapidly and decide which problems to solve."

Damyan Ivanov, gold medalist from SMG:"For me, the most challenging part was undoubtedly the experimental round. The tasks were incredibly numerous and complex. It’s also difficult to prepare for this type of experiment, as they require specific chemicals and access to a fully equipped laboratory."

The other two team members — Nikola Ninkov from SMG and Teodor Kusev from the National High School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NPMG) won bronze medals.