History
The Olympiad is a nine-day international competition among pre-university students from more than 60 nations. At the International Physics Olympiad, the competitors are asked to solve challenging theoretical and experimental physics problems.
Begun in 1967 among eastern European countries, the International Physics Olympiad Competition gradually grew to include many western countries during the 1970s. In 1986, under the direction of the AAPT Executive Officer, Jack Wilson, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) organized the United States Physics Team for the first time.
The 1986 team was made up of 20 talented high school physics students who had been nominated by their teachers. Following a rigorous program in the physics department of the University of Maryland, five students were selected to represent the U.S. in London. This team brought home three bronze medals—more medals than any team had ever won in their first competition. Since that time, the United States has consistently ranked near the top ten of all nations.
The International Physics Olympiad Competition now attracts teams from all over the globe.
Read more about this topic: United States National Physics Olympiad
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