Hung Yen student first to reach Olympia final

Hung Yen province has its first student in the Road to Olympia final, following Quang Minh's victory from Thai Binh High School for the Gifted in the Quarter III final.

On 26/7, the Quarter III competition of Duong len dinh Olympia (Road to Olympia) was broadcast, featuring four contestants: Nguyen Duc Minh from Nguyen Tat Thanh Middle and High School, Hanoi; Le Nguyen Nam Son from Son Tay High School for the Gifted, Hanoi; Nguyen Huy Quang Minh from Thai Binh High School for the Gifted, Hung Yen; and Huynh Le Ngoc My from Nguyen Binh Khiem High School for the Gifted, Da Nang.

In the Warm-up round, each contestant faced a personal session of six questions and a group session of 15 questions, covering natural sciences, social sciences, culture, sports, arts, and current events. Each correct answer was worth 10 points.

Quang Minh made an immediate impression with his composed and confident demeanor. He correctly answered five out of six personal questions, earning 50 points. Ngoc My answered four questions correctly, scoring 40 points. Duc Minh and Nam Son both achieved 20 points.

During the group session, contestants buzzed in to answer. A correct answer added 10 points, while an incorrect one deducted 5 points.

Nam Son buzzed in five times but only gained 5 points. Ngoc My and Quang Minh each added 20 points. Duc Minh buzzed once but answered incorrectly, losing 5 points.

At the end of this round, Quang Minh held a provisional lead with 65 points. Ngoc My had 50 points, while Nam Son and Duc Minh trailed with 25 and 15 points, respectively.

Quang Minh, Thai Binh High School for the Gifted, Hung Yen, during the Quarter III final, broadcast on 26/7. Photo: Screenshot

The Obstacle Course round required contestants to identify a keyword using four horizontal clues and suggestive image fragments. All four contestants proceeded cautiously. It was not until the final horizontal clue, after the MC read the question, that Ngoc My and Duc Minh buzzed in to answer the obstacle.

My secured the right to answer first, providing "Thanh nien xung phong" (Youth Volunteers, a historical movement) as the solution. She deduced this from images of youth during wartime and the word "luc luong" (force), which was the answer to the last horizontal line. Duc Minh had the same answer and expressed regret for not buzzing in sooner, having "vaguely" guessed the answer from the first question.

The sole female contestant, Ngoc My, then took the lead with 100 points. Duc Minh and Nam Son both had 35 points, while Quang Minh was at 75 points.

The Acceleration round featured four questions, with points awarded based on accuracy and speed: 40, 30, 20, or 10 points. This was the most thrilling round, marked by continuous lead changes in the Quarter III final.

The first question concerned the charge capacity of different capacitors. All contestants answered, but Duc Minh and Quang Minh provided correct responses, earning 40 and 30 points, respectively.

At this point, Quang Minh surged into the lead with 105 points, five points ahead of My.

Question two required arranging images corresponding to historical events. All four contestants answered correctly. Nam Son earned 40 points, Ngoc My 30 points, and Quang Minh and Duc Minh added 20 and 10 points, respectively.

Ngoc My regained the lead with 130 points, maintaining a five-point difference from Quang Minh.

None of the four contestants capitalized on the opportunity to score on question three, which was about geometry. For the final question, concerning the historical figure Huynh Thuc Khang, all students answered correctly. Quang Minh provided the fastest answer, adding 40 points, and returned to the lead with 165 points.

Nam Son, Duc Minh, and Ngoc My added 30, 20, and 10 points, respectively. The two male students each achieved a total of 105 points, while My had 140 points.

With the highest score, Quang Minh entered the Finish Line round first, choosing three 20-point questions. He answered two questions correctly, increasing his score to 205.

Ngoc My also selected a similar question package. My answered the first question, about chemistry, incorrectly. Quang Minh buzzed in with the correct answer, gaining 20 points.

My failed to answer the next two questions correctly. On the final question, about President Ho Chi Minh's first and last major works—considered national treasures—My used her "star of hope" and answered "Duong kach mang" (The Revolutionary Path) and "Di chuc" (Testament). The opportunity then went to Nam Son, who provided the correct answers: "Duong Kach Menh" (The Revolutionary Path) and "Di chuc" (Testament). My's score consequently dropped to 100 points after her round.

The third contestant to reach the finish line was Nam Son. He chose a 20-30-20 point question package but only answered the first question correctly. Duc Minh and Ngoc My "stole points" on the subsequent two questions. Nam Son finished with 85 points.

Duc Minh selected a 20-20-30 point package but made an unfortunate error on the first question by omitting the unit for economic ranking criteria. He answered the next two questions correctly, completing his round with 185 points.

With 225 points, Quang Minh won the laurel wreath, bringing the TV bridge for the final round to Thai Binh High School for the Gifted, Hung Yen.

He, along with Thai Duong from Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted, Phu Tho, and Gia Bao from Le Quy Don - Dong Hai High School for the Gifted, Khanh Hoa, will compete in the 26th annual Road to Olympia final.