The son of an Indian-born engineer and a Chinese-born mother, Yang Liu grew up in the United States and competed in the 2015 Olympiad as part of the U.S. team. (Photo : Want China Times)
Still reeling from China’s defeat in the 2015 International Mathematics Olympiad, the Chinese media has found a way to get some credit from the opponent’s victory. According to China Times, Yang Liu, a gold medal winner in the recently concluded tourney, was born in China.
Liu's gold medal from the 2015 Olympiad is his second, as he also competed in the Olympiad in the previous year and managed to get the same prize.
The son of an Indian-born engineer and a Chinese-born mother, Yang Liu grew up in the United States and competed in the 2015 Olympiad as part of the U.S. team.
Aside from being highly skilled in mathematics, Liu has also shown aptitude in the arts as he is a certified pianist, clarinet player and a keen painter.
Liu is also engaged in sports; he was a prospective player for his school's basketball team.
Yang Liu's mother was instrumental in his success. A former mathematics teacher in China, she encouraged his son's mathematical ability after observing his interest in computer games. Instead of sticking to the usual genre, his mother picked out games that also involved problem solving to help hone his mind and potential. According to her, Yang Liu exhibited skill in the subject matter as early as the age of five, when he showed interest in equations.
Liu didn't undergo special training as preparation for the 2015 Olympiad.
Defending champion China was defeated by the U.S. team, thanks to their combined score of 185. China garnered a total of 181, whereas the South Korean contingent managed to earn a score of 161.
The U.S.'s victory in the Olympiad broke China's two-year winning streak.
