TEHRAN - Iran’s young physicists have received one honorary diploma and four medals in the 40th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO 2009), which was closed on Tuesday.

Iranian students have won four medals -- three silver and one bronze -- and an honorary diploma at the competition, held in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico from July 12 to 19, 2009, said Behzad Solatian, the head of the public relations department of the Young Researchers' Club here on Wednesday.
Mohammad-Reza Mohammadi from Tehran, Arvin Shahbazi-Moghaddam from Rasht, and Kasra Hejazi from Mashhad won silver and Reza Javadinejad from Tehran gained the bronze medal. Amir-Hossein Tajdini from Tehran was also the winner of an honorary diploma in the competition.
According to Solatian, the ranking of the teams in IPhO 2009 have not yet been announced.
Seventy six countries from around the world participated in the event, sponsored by the Mexico Ministry of Education, the National Council of Science and Technology, and the Yucatan State Government.
Organized by the Mexican Physical Society, the University of Yucatan and the Merida Campus of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnical Institute, the contest provides a unique opportunity for high school students to demonstrate their abilities in physics, exchange experiences and build cross-cultural contacts.
In the 39th IPhO completion held in Hanoi, Vietnam, last July Iranian students won five bronze medals. Participants from 82 countries competed in the in 39th IPhO last year