The winter in Shenzhen is much warmer than most other regions of China and the enthusiastic and attentive service provided by the organizers and volunteers left the visitors feeling even more warm and excited to get down to the competition.

Two students from the Seventh Middle School in Chengdu said: “The weather in Shenzhen is very warm, the air is very fresh, and the venues for the theory tests and accommodation are really nice”. When asked if they had any knowledge of SUSTech, they said with a smile: “Yes of course, it’s a very open and innovative university, many seniors have gone there and say nothing but praise when they come back to visit !”.

A student from Jiangxi province admitted that he had been preparing for a long time for the competition. His interest in chemistry dates back to his junior high school days, when he decided to start training for the competition at high school level. The weekly training was very intensive, with a broad range of topics included. “We came to Shenzhen and, despite the agitation, still hope to have remain calm and composed during the exams”.

The competitive spirit is high, but most students say they focus on their own goals, and want to give it their best shot. When our reporter asks them if they are aiming for first prize, many of them say very seriously that “the first prize is the goal of every participant”.

Team leader: “The change in the Winter Camp is huge”

Compared to the campers’ stressful preparation for the exams, the provincial team leader seemed more easy-going. Wang Guiming, a representative from Inner Mongolia who has led the region’s team for 28 years, said: “The Winter Camp has changed tremendously since I led the Inner Mongolian team to participate in the Olympiad Winter Camp of 1998. Only two players from each provincial team participated in the finals in the 1990s, but now some provincial teams have more than 10 members. The more contestants there are, the more intense the competition gets, so I usually give students training that prepares them for a higher level then the actual contest.”

Several former gold medalists from previous years also attended. Several are now working as instructors for the younger generation, such as the 2011 gold medalist Zhou Zhenxing who told us about how different it is to shift from being a contestant to being an instructor.

The event’s Volunteers team was dressed in orange jackets and working from 8am to the end of the day, counting and delivering the supplies to be distributed to the students. Their contribution is invaluable, making sure that all students and visitors have a smooth time during the competition so as to focus on their exams. Some volunteer teams even went up to the railway stations and airports to welcome the visitors, guiding and accompanying them.

Despite the long days and the autumn chill, they worked tirelessly to make sure everything was on track and everyone was fine, giving the teachers and students from all over China a wonderful insight in how things are here at SUSTech.