Upper secondary schools in Espoo found success in the International Olympiad in chemistry, biology, geography and physics
The International Science Olympiad is a well-known science competition for young people. It attracts thousands of young competitors around the world. This year, Kasper Laitinen from Otaniemen lukio upper secondary school won gold in the International Geography Olympiad and Okko Varpasuo won silver in the International Biology Olympiad. Topi Tukeva from Kuninkaantien lukio upper secondary school won bronze in the International Chemistry Olympiad. Juho Kaasinen, also from Kuninkaantien lukio upper secondary school, did very well in the European Physics Olympiad. The competitors worked hard in the summer while many other students enjoyed their summer holidays.
Before the Olympiad, these young people attended Olympiad coaching and national qualifiers in Finland. In the Olympiad, the top 10% win gold, the next 20% after the gold medallists win silver, the next 30% after the silver medallists win bronze, and the next 10% after the bronze medallists receive an honourable mention.
The International Geography Olympiad was organised in Bangkok, Thailand between 26 July and 1 August 2025. In addition to gold medallist Kasper Laitinen, Arttu Mattila from Otaniemen lukio upper secondary school also participated in the Olympiad. “It was great to get recognition for my efforts, and I don’t know if anything could inspire me to study geography more,” says gold medallist Kasper Laitinen in a press release of Biologian ja maantieteen opettajien liitto (the association of biology and geography teachers).
The International Biology Olympiad was organised in Quezon City in the Philippines between 20 and 28 July 2025. In addition to Okko Varpasuo, who won silver, the great Finnish team also included Vilma Salaspuro from Tapiolan lukio upper secondary school. Around 350 competitors from 90 countries participated in the International Biology Olympiad. The support team of the Finnish Olympiad team included Eevi Huuskonen, who has also graduated from Olarin lukio upper secondary school and participated in the Olympiad in 2019.
“Upper secondary schools organise national competitions by themselves. The team to be coached is formed of the best-performing students (approximately 15) among whom Finland’s four-member team is selected for the International Biology Olympiad,” explains Maija Flinkman, teacher at Otaniemen lukio upper secondary school. “For students, both coaching and the International Olympiad are great opportunities to learn and create international connections. It also inspires them to study biology,” Maija continues.
The competition spanned over two days. There were four practical exams, in which competitors identified and dissected fish species native to the Philippines and determined the microscopic structure of bacterial and fungal growths. In the theoretical exams, the competitors grappled with the inheritance of genetic diseases, the biochemistry of mango fruit ripening and the evolutionary history of dinosaurs, among other topics.
Difficult exams and great experiences
The International Chemistry Olympiad was organised in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates between 5 and 14 July 2025. Around 360 students from 90 countries from all over the world participated in the competition. The Finnish team prepared for the exams for over six months. The Nordic Chemistry Olympiad was organised in Gothenburg, Sweden before the International Olympiad. The Finnish team participated in this competition on their way to Dubai.
“Participants compete as individuals, and the top 10% win gold, the next 20% after the gold medallists win silver, the next 30% after the silver medallists win bronze, and the next 10% after the bronze medallists receive an honourable mention. In other words, you must be among the best 60% to win bronze,” says bronze medallist Topi Tukeva in his report to his teacher. Topi found the exams to be difficult.
The Olympiad is an experience for students. The trip is not only about the exams, but also an opportunity to admire local attractions and meet other young people. According to Topi, the trip was by far the most memorable one in his entire life. “The best thing was by far all the new people from around the world who I met along the way.”
To the Olympiad at one day’s notice
The European Physics Olympiad was organised in Sofia, Bulgaria between 13 and 17 June 2025. In addition to Europe, participants also originated from China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
“Topi Tukeva and Juho Kaasinen both prepared for the Chemistry Olympiad in the spring. Juho was left out of the final Chemistry Olympiad team and was placed first on the waitlist but was suddenly invited to the Physics Olympiad in the summer due to visa issues, even though he had not prepared for it. Considering this, Juho did very well to get the best score of all Finns,” says teacher Juha Tolonen. “Suddenly” refers to a one day’s notice here.
“Luckily, I had studied all winter for the matriculation exam in physics, so I recalled most upper secondary level topics very well. I also quickly read about the physics needed in the Olympiad on the airplane. It was very different from upper secondary school physics,” Juho says.
The exams were traditional pen and paper exams. Fortunately, the questions were translated into Finnish: “The test questions were difficult, but fortunately the reviewers often award partial credit. This means that it is not mandatory to find the final answer. This also applies the other way around, meaning that the final answer alone is not enough; the answer must include all the steps leading to the solution, and competitors must justify their answers,” Juho explains.
Juho met new people on his Olympiad trip. He believes that making new friends was the best thing about the competition: “I was a few decimals short of an honourable mention in the award ceremony, but after meeting the Estonian team, they donated their silver medal to me as a memento of the trip. In fact, I just spent the weekend at the cottage with the Finnish and Estonian teams, and we are already planning our next trip.”
The 4 best general upper secondary school students in Finland are selected for the International Science Olympiad (biology, physics, geography, chemistry, mathematics), i.e., there are 20 Olympiad spots in total. Upper secondary school students from Espoo held six of these spots.