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| Vo Quang Phu Duc winning the 24th Road to Olympia. Photo by: Road to Olympia |
How do you feel about becoming the champion of Road to Olympia?
I feel very happy to become the third champion of Quoc Hoc Hue High School for the Gifted in this competition. I am also very delighted because I always have the support of my family, teachers and friends in my journey at Road to Olympia.
The Thua Thien Hue bridge point has made elaborate and careful preparations to support Phu Duc in the final match of the year. How did Phu Duc feel when witnessing the images at Ngo Mon Square?
I entered the final match with the mindset that it was the last match, so I just gave it my all; but, I couldn’t help but feel nervous and anxious. However, when I saw my friends flipping their hats and performing a grand scene of the national flag, I felt more confident. At that moment, I wished I could be at Ngo Mon Square to witness those images closer. I also knew that the Thua Thien Hue bridge point would reenact the Truyen Lo ceremony (Proclaiming the Topscorers in the National Exam in the reign of Nguyen Dynasty), a ceremony to honor the topscorers. I had looked up clips reenacting this ceremony at previous Hue Festivals, but I didn’t expect that the Truyen Lo ceremony would be reenacted so vividly and beautifully this time.
I always like to learn about the culture of my hometown Thua Thien Hue and I think I am lucky because my hometown has many unique cultural features from music with Hue Singing, Hue royal court music, to the diversity of architecture; the Festivals are always grand, rich in identity, and the cuisine is also very delicious. Those are the values of my hometown culture that I always keep in my heart so as to remember that I am aHue origin.
In addition, I could not help but be moved because a few days before the final match of the year, many of my friends texted me to confide that the weather was changing quite erratically, with heavy rain, making the preparation and rehearsal at the bridge point quite unfavorable. One friend said: “Try to bring the laurel wreath to Hue, for everyone has to endure the erratical weather a lot for Phu Duc”. When I heard that, I felt very sorry for my teachers and friends. I am also very grateful for the efforts of everyone who tried to spread the spirit from my hometown to support me in the stressful final match.
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| The image of the national flag at the Thua Thien Hue bridge point |
In the final match, you had a great performance, dominating right from the warm-up round. How did you plan your strategy for the final match?
The strategy I used in the yearly final match was quite similar to the one I used in the third quarterfinal, which was to try to create a big advantage in the first three rounds: Warm-up, Obstacle Cource and Acceleration. In the Finishing round, I will try my best to maintain my advantage.
I was quite surprised because I took the lead in the first round because the Warm-up questions in the yearly final match were also very difficult and required quick thinking to answer, but that also gave me confidence to move on to the next rounds.
The first turning point of today’s match is the two moments when you pressed the buzzer. The first buzzer was in the Obstacle Course when you pressed the buzzer even though the answer for the first row had not been announced yet. What did you think at that moment?
In the Obstacle Course, when I was given a 7-letter riddle, I already thought of some keywords such as “fulcrum”, “solidarity” and “Net zero”. After the question appeared in the first row, I calculated that the answer was “2050” and was immediately sure of the answer “Net zero”, because this is a very popular term nowadays, especially for young people who care about environmental protection and sustainable development.
To be honest, I was a little hesitant about whether pressing the buzzer like that was too early and too reckless. On my journey to the yearly final match, I also pressed the bell very early like that in the monthly competition but could not give the correct answer. I told myself I wouldn’t repeat such recklessness and had to play more safely. But because I wanted to gain a big advantage in the final, I trusted my judgment.
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| The moment of pressing the buzzer in the decisive question. Photo by: VTV |
The second time you pressed the buzzer was the decisive moment for the championship. What is your strategy in that particular situation?
Previously, I had pressed the buzzer to win the championship in the 3rd quarterfinal, but recreating that moment in the final match was something I did not expect. In that situation, Nguyen Nguyen Phu (a student at Hanoi National University of Education) and I were 20 points apart, and the value of the question was 30 points. If I could press the buzzer to answer the question, I would get 30 points if I gave the correct answer, and half of the question’s points, or 15 points, would be deducted if I answered it incorrectly. Nguyen Phu and I both decided to press the buzzer to take the opportunity, and I was luckier in that moment, thereby securing my championship.
What advice do you have for students who are passionate about the Road to Olympia in particular and conquering knowledge in general?
I think that, after what I have experienced, including the times I almost stumbled so much so that I even thought I could not continue my journey, I have made great efforts in overcoming such difficult times thanks to the encouragement of friends, teachers and seniors at Nguyet Que Do. In my opinion, one should have a progressive spirit, remain persevere to never stop trying, know how to stand up after falling, and stay determined to realize their dreams.
What are your plans for the future?
I will focus on completing my high school program. Besides, I will also work out the orientations for my future with my family and teachers. I have a dream of becoming a programmer to create many applications and infrastructures to help improve people’s lives and contribute to building my homeland, just as my parents have been doing.
Thank you for your sharing!