As the 23rd Olympiad is about to get under way in the Los Angeles area, another Olympiad—this one dating only to 1968—has just ended in Frankfurtam-Main, West Germany.
The competition that just ended in Europe is the International Chemistry Olympiad. Four-member teams of high school students from participating nations took part in ten days of examinations covering theoretical problems and laboratory experiments in analytical, biochemical, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. The students also participate in sports, tours, and lectures.
This Olympiad originated with Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary 16 years ago and quickly spread through Europe. This is the first year that the United States has participated, joining 19 other nations in the competition.
The American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, says the United States' team was selected from "222 outstanding high school students who competed in national chemistry examinations." Of these 222 students, 20 finalists were chosen for a two-week "study