IYPT 2002
IYPT 2002 Odessa, Ukraine
(May 23 – May 30, 2002)
Overview
The 15th International Young Physicists Tournament marked a pivotal moment for IYPT with increasing international participation and evolving technical standards. Hosted in the historic city of Odessa, Ukraine, this edition featured a refined structure of five Selective Physics Fights and a Final. The tournament was noted for logistical improvements including police-escorted transport, high-level local support including a welcome message from Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, and a growing reliance on digital presentations while overhead transparencies remained common.
Participation
- Teams: 20
- Countries: 18
Participating Teams
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Finland
Georgia
Germany
Hungary
Mexico
Netherlands
Poland – Team I
Poland – Team II
Russia
South Korea
Slovakia
Switzerland
Ukraine – Team I
Ukraine – Team II
Format
- Selective PFs: 5 rounds
- Final: May 29, 2002
- Max Points per PF: 60 (3—10 + 2—10 + 1—10)
- Max Cumulative after 5 PFs: 300
Performance Language
- Official Language: English
- Working Languages in PFs: English; optional Russian for presentations after the Report
- Interpretation: Informally provided by selected jurors
Jury
- Jurors from multiple countries
- Final Fight Judged by a distinguished panel
Final Physics Fight – May 29, 2002
| Place | Team | Selected Problem | Score | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland I | No. 13 Spinning ball | 49.99 | Gold |
| 2 | Belarus | No. 2 Spiders web | 48.67 | Silver |
| 3 | Germany | No. 8 Charged sand | 47.89 | Silver |
Final Results
Gold Medalist
Poland I
Silver Medalists
Belarus
Germany
Bronze Medalists
Slovakia
Austria
Hungary
Ukraine II
Australia
Poland II
Czech Republic
Croatia
Other Participants
South Korea
Georgia
Finland
Switzerland
Russia
Mexico
Netherlands
Ukraine I
Bulgaria
Notable Scores and Ranking Data
| Rank | Team | TSP5 | SPfin | Final Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland I | 230.80 | 49.99 | 1 |
| 2 | Belarus | 229.60 | 48.67 | 2 |
| 3 | Germany | 229.20 | 47.89 | 3 |
| 4 | Slovakia | 224.60 | ||
| 5 | Austria | 219.60 | ||
| 6 | Hungary | 213.80 | ||
| 7 | Ukraine II | 209.00 | ||
| 8 | Australia | 208.72 | ||
| 9 | Poland K | 208.48 | ||
| 10 | South Korea | 205.40 | ||
| 11 | Czech Republic | 203.00 | (disputed) | |
| 12 | Croatia | 199.88 | (disputed) |
Organizers and Notes
- Chairperson (Local Organization): Prof. Valery Koleboshin
- Finals held in: Grand Physical Auditorium, I. I. Mechnikov Odessa National University
- Results checked and verified by: Valery Koleboshin
- Note: Some minor discrepancies in early fight scores (e.g., Korea PF2, Ukraine 1 PF4) were corrected in favor of published official data.

