Full Breakdown
China’s First International Nuclear Science Olympiad Debut Yields Gold and Three Silvers
8/9/2026, 12:33:19 PM
China’s Medal Performance
On August 8, 2026, China’s four-member high-school team from Beijing secured one gold medal (won by Liu Siqi) and three silver medals (earned by Wang Yuanfu, Sun Rongze and Zhang Yuxuan) at the third International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The results placed the delegation among the top participating nations in the competition’s inaugural appearance for China.
Event Scope and Structure
The eight-day INSO brought together student teams from 19 countries. Competitors faced theoretical and experimental examinations covering nuclear physics, radiation protection and nuclear fuel, among other topics. The Olympiad, launched in 2024 with support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is the world’s first youth competition dedicated exclusively to nuclear science, modeled after other international science olympiads.
Chinese Team Profile
All four medalists are high-school students from Beijing No. 80 High School’s Wangjing Campus. The team’s success reflects China’s growing emphasis on cultivating young talent in nuclear research and technology.
Official Statements & Responses
Talal Alrashidi, a representative of the INSO organizing committee, welcomed China’s participation, noting that the students delivered an “outstanding performance” and exemplified the “positive spirit of Chinese youth.” Wang Peng, head of the Chinese delegation and deputy chief economist of the China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy, emphasized the delegation’s role in promoting nuclear science education.
Verbatim Quote
“We will continue to strengthen the popularization of nuclear science and encourage more outstanding young people to learn about, understand and participate in the nuclear field,” — Wang Peng
