Israel’s Chemistry Olympiad team that competed in the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad in Uzbekistan. Photo: Israel Ministry of Education and the Future Scientists Center

Israel’s national chemistry team won two gold and two silver medals at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad in Uzbekistan, placing the country among the world’s top-performing delegations.

The four-person Israeli team consisted of Itamar Ben Shmuel, Yogev Cohen Ben Zaken, Daniel Granovsky, and Yehonadav Marienberg. Ben Shmuel and Cohen Ben Zaken won gold medals, while Granovsky and Marienberg received silver medals.

Ben Shmuel delivered an especially strong performance, finishing eighth among all contestants. The Technion — Israel Institute of Technology said the delegation’s combined results placed Israel eighth overall.

The team is jointly operated by Israel’s Ministry of Education and the Future Scientists Center of the Maimonides Fund. Its members trained at the Technion’s Schulich Faculty of Chemistry under academic director Prof. Zeev Gross and head coach Dr. Reut Shapira.

The competition was held in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent from July 10-19 and brought together 363 students representing 92 countries.

Contestants completed a five-hour theoretical examination and a five-hour practical examination designed to test their knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and laboratory skills. Medals were awarded based on each student’s individual performance.

The chemistry team’s success capped an extraordinary period for Israel’s young scientists. Over slightly more than a week, Israeli students collected 13 medals across international chemistry, physics, and biology competitions.

At the International Physics Olympiad in Colombia, Israel won one gold and four silver medals. Israeli students also secured two gold and two bronze medals at the International Biology Olympiad in Lithuania.

“In just over a week, Israel’s national teams have won 13 Olympiad medals across three different scientific disciplines,” Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch said.

Kisch said the results reflected the depth of Israel’s scientific talent and the country’s sustained investment in science education.

Gross praised the chemistry students for maintaining Israel’s position among the competition’s leading countries despite the difficult international climate facing Israeli representatives.

“You represented Israel with great honor and earned tremendous respect through your achievements,” he told the team. “Two gold medals, two silver medals, and eighth place in the world.”

The 2026 competition marked the first time Uzbekistan had hosted the International Chemistry Olympiad and the first time the event was held in Central Asia.

The Olympiad was founded in 1968 in Czechoslovakia and has since developed into one of the world’s most prestigious competitions for high-school chemistry students.