TV Globo links the Tokyo Olympics to 'athletes' from OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools).

The 16th OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools), which has just finished the first phase of testing, was featured on Hora 1, on TV Globo, in a report shown this Thursday (5) . From Japan to Brazil, TV Globo linked the dedication of students to the scientific olympiad with the effort of Brazilian athletes who are competing in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

In an interview with the reporting team, Claudio Landim, general coordinator of OBMEP, highlighted the importance of logical reasoning for participation in the competition. “The Olympiad exam doesn't measure knowledge. It doesn't want to know if the student is capable of solving a quadratic equation. It wants to know if the student is capable of thinking,” he explained.

The report featured encouraging testimonials from Brazilian athletes at the Tokyo Olympics for students who had just passed the first phase of the mathematics competition. "What I believe in most is training. It's in that moment, both in sports and in studies, that you develop your skills," stated Isaac Viana, midfielder for the Brazilian national volleyball team.

Student Júlia Ferreira reported being inspired by the athletes to stay motivated in her studies for a year and a half during the pandemic, a period in which she embraced distance learning. “For the athletes, of course, the result is very important. But the experience they gain stays with them for life, both in sports and in mathematics,” she said.

Dan Glauber, gold and silver medalist at OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), stated that he remains focused on the upcoming challenges. "Willpower, more dedication, less laziness, and much success in the mathematics olympiads," he emphasized.

But, as Fernando Scheffer, swimmer and bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, emphasized, it's also important to enjoy this moment. "We have to prepare a lot, the effort of preparation is important, but having fun is also important. And always believing, until the end, that we are capable of doing our best," he says.

While athletes prepare to finish the Tokyo Olympics with a flourish, students await the results of the first phase of the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), which will be released on September 9th. Those who qualify will have the chance to compete for medals in the second phase, held in person on November 6th.

The report is available on Globoplay.