Chem whiz kids find formula for success

Winning a top prize at a global chemistry event has given 18-year-old Zhong Zheng more motivation and hope for future study.

Zhong was one of four high school students on the Chinese team that won gold medals at the 56th International Chemistry Olympiad, which concluded on Monday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Team China achieved the highest overall score in the competition for the fourth consecutive time.

Zhong, from Haikou Middle School in Haikou, Hainan province, showed strong interest in chemistry as a child. He has been selected as a chemistry competition candidate since he started high school. In November, he won the gold medal at the finals of the 37th Chinese Chemistry Olympiad and then, with the highest score in the country, joined Team China for the 2024 IChO.