At this year’s 57th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), held in the United Arab Emirates with a record participation of 90 countries and 354 contestants, the Czech team achieved extraordinary success. The representatives brought home one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal from this prestigious competition—marking the best result in the history of the IChO for the independent Czech Republic. Our faculty once again took part in the preparation of the national team, hosting an intensive practical training camp at the Department of Analytical Chemistry. Shortly before their departure, the students also participated in a joint training camp for the Chemistry and Biology Olympiads in Běstvina, organized in collaboration between the University of Chemistry and Technology and our faculty.
Far left: Miroslava Novoveská, far right: Jiří Ledvinka (mentors).In the center, from left to right: Adam Horák, Ondřej Michal, Václav Verner, and Matěj Pěnička (students).
The greatest achievement was earned by Václav Verner, who brought home a gold medal for his overall 2nd place finish—making it the highest placement ever by a Czech student in the history of the competition. He also became one of the few triple gold medalists in IChO history, having won gold last year in Saudi Arabia and again in the online edition held during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. This remarkable feat places him among the most successful participants in the Olympiad's history.
Other team members also made significant contributions to the overall success: Matěj Pěnička and Ondřej Michal each won a silver medal, while Adam Horák earned bronze. We congratulate the entire team and their academic mentors on this exceptional achievement and for their outstanding representation of the Czech Republic on the international stage!