US wins Math Olympiad for first time in 21 yrs

Washington

IN 1980, the United States ice hockey team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, beating a powerhouse Soviet squad 4-3 to win a gold medal. The game would go down in history as "The Miracle on Ice". Thirty-five years later, America pulled off another stunning upset this week.

But this victory involved integers, not ice skates, and was waged not by hulking Cold Warriors but by skinny teens stuffed with curry.

Call it The Miracle on Rice.

Team America has finally retaken the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) crown. The victory last week in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was a historic comeback.

If winning a youth math competition seems less important than vanquishing the Soviets back in 1980, consider this: the last time America won the IMO was 1994. Back …