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| The moment Vo Quang Phu Duc was honored as the champion of the 24th “Road to Mount Olympia” |
The early morning rain gradually gave way to warm sunshine, the Noon Gate Square (Hue City), where the live broadcast site was set up, seemed to burst into life with the enthusiasm and dynamism of about 8,000 cheering fans, including students, teachers, and Hue residents who love the program. They enthusiastically followed the “breathtaking” competition at Studio S14 of Vietnam Television.
The final round of the 24th “Road to Mount Olympia” was a competition among four competitors, namely Nguyen Nguyen Phu (Hanoi National University of Education High School for the Gifted), Nguyen Quoc Nhat Minh (Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted, Gia Lai), Tran Trung Kien (Le Hong Phong High School, Phu Yen), and Vo Quang Phu Duc (Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted).
Before the competition, the audience watched the performances from various live broadcast sites. Among them, the live broadcast site from Hanoi brought about a feeling of antiquity, with the stage set at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature – Imperial National University); the live broadcast site from Gia Lai, which was sunny and windy with the sound of the great forest. Meanwhile, Phu Yen overcame adverse weather conditions with the excitement and enthusiasm at Le Trung Kien Stadium (Tuy Hoa City), bringing the passionate flavor of the sea to the competition.
At the live broadcast site in Thua Thien Hue, the highlight is the ancient space of the Imperial Citadel with the Noon Gate, the Lau Ngu Phung (Five Phoenix Pavilion), and the beautiful image of audience, arranging in the shape of the national flag using conical hats. The Truyen Lo ceremony - a ceremony to announce the imperial decree to grant degrees after the royal examinations of the Nguyen Dynasty, was reenacted by students and artists from Hue Monuments Conservation Center.
As shared by Son Lam, the MC, during the live broadcast, the entire program organizing team and the audience all hoped that Phu Duc would also “return home in triumph”, be named on the peak of knowledge, and bring honor to the ancient capital land.
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| Phu Duc's friends at Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted cheered on the competitors. Photo: P. THANH |
The enthusiastic support from his hometown provided Phu Duc with a strong boost, helping him have a good start at the beginning. He impressively answered all 6 warm-up questions correctly before demonstrating his accuracy in the bell-pressing situations, gaining an additional 25 points in the confrontation section. After each correct answer from the young man from Hue, the live broadcast site in Thua Thien Hue erupted in cheers. At the end of the warm-up section, Phu Duc took the lead with 75 points, a 25-point gap from Tran Trung Kien from Phu Yen.
In the overcoming obstacles section, the competitors had to find a seven-letter hidden keyword. After deducing the answer “2050” in the first horizontal row, Phu Duc quickly pressed the bell to claim the right to answer the overcoming obstacles section. The keyword he chose was “Net zero”.
Phu Duc shared that he chose that keyword because 2050 is the year Vietnam aims to achieve net-zero emissions. At the Noon Gate Square, all the audience held their breath in anticipation before bursting into happiness when the MCs announced that Phu Duc was the one who had successfully overcome the obstacle. By finding the keyword for the obstacle, he earned an additional 60 points, thereby further widening the gap with other contestants.
In the Speed-up section, the competitors had to answer four types of questions, including: visual identification, sequencing, logical reasoning, and paragraph comprehension. This section was considered Phu Duc's strength, as he had consistently performed exceptionally well in previous rounds (scoring 80 points in the weekly round, 150 points in the monthly round, and 90 points in the quarterly round). Leveraging this advantage, Phu Duc once again demonstrated his speed and accuracy in his responses, earning another 100 points and solidifying his lead at the top, with 235 points. With a significant 115-point gap between him and the second-place competitor, Trung Kien (120 points), many spectators began to anticipate a victory for the boy from the ancient capital.
During the audience interaction section at the live broadcast sites, all four locations provided correct answer, and as a result, they all received gifts from the program's sponsors.
Before the finishing section, Mr. Nguyen Phu Tho, the Principal of Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted, presented Phu Duc a shirt signed by 1,200 students and teachers of the school. “This is a gift from your teachers and friends. You always have our support. Keep staying calm and being confident in the upcoming section,” encouraged Mr. Nguyen Phu Tho. Phu Duc's close friends from the Red Laurel program also sent their best wishes: “We wish you a smart strategy, a solid spirit, and a resounding victory in the finishing section”.
With a leading score, Phu Duc was the first competitor to enter the finishing section. Riding on his excitement, Phu Duc chose the 60-point question package. Through his confident answers, Phu Duc continued to maintain a gap with other competitors.
The match reached its climax in Trung Kien’s turn, when Nguyen Phu pressed the bell to gain the right to answer the English question, earning himself 30 points and narrowing the gap with Phu Duc to just 20 points. In Nhat Minh’s turn, which was the last turn, Phu Duc recreated his “strategic bell ringing” move that had previously secured him victory in the quarterly round.
The final round ended with the scores of Phu Duc, Nguyen Phu, Trung Kien, and Nhat Minh, being 220, 215, 145, and 85 respectively.
The Noon Gate Square erupted with joy over Phu Duc's victory. With this result, Phu Duc became the champion of the 24th “Road to Mount Olympia”. He also became the third representative from Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted to win the annual final round, thereby helping “the pink school by the Huong River” set a record as the school with the most champions.
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| Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, and Mr. Nguyen Tan, Director of the Provincial Department of Education and Training, shared the joy of victory with Hue students. Photo: P. THANH |
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| Many wishes from teachers and friends were written on the white shirt, encouraging Duc before entering the competition. Photo: P. THANH |
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| Vo Quang Phu Duc's confident demeanor in the finishing section. Photo: P. THANH |
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| At the live broadcast site in Hue, at the Noon Gate Square, many students from Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted joined a contest among the representatives from schools. Photo: P. THANH |
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| Wearing the ao dai and conical hats, female students from Hue performed art performances for audiences at the studio and nationwide. Photo: P. THANH |
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| More than 8,000 students across the province gathered at the Noon Gate Square to cheer for Vo Quang Phu Duc. Photo: P. THANH |
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| This is the third time a student from Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted has won the “Road to Mount Olympia”. Photo: P. THANH |
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| Many fans were happy and cheered. Photo: P. THANH |
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| A scene of people throwing their conical hats into the air to celebrate the well-deserved victory of Vo Quang Phu Duc. Photo: P. THANH |
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| The Noon Gate Square, where the victory of Vo Quang Phu Duc was witnessed. Photo: P. THANH |