Olympiad Diary
Day 4
Day 4
Today, the participants of OIBO-2026 visited a world-famous sports facility that was built for the 2014 Olympic Games. The luge and bobsleigh track is the only one in Russia for international-level competitions and the only one in the world with three counter‑slopes, which reduce athletes' speed and make this track one of the safest in the world. Another stop on the excursion route was the Laura open-air cages of the Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve. Here, the students could see and learn about the animals of the Northwestern Caucasus: red deer, sika deer, tur, bison, chamois, lynx, wolf, black vulture, steppe eagle, and other animals.
"From the very beginning, I was amazed by the views of Sirius: there are so many mountains and trees here. And the rich excursion program helps to get to know this place even better. We visited national parks, museums, and Olympic venues, all of which is truly wonderful. I thought OIBO was just an intellectual competition, but now I understand it is much more. The participants come from many different countries, and that is where the special value lies. We have made many friendships that I could not even dream of. This has made me more sociable. OIBO is already giving me valuable experience and opening up many opportunities in the world. It also helps me build connections that I will be able to use in the future," notes Pao Sambatkhatya from Cambodia.
"I think the students of Sirius are very lucky: they can enjoy these landscapes while focusing on their studies at a modern university. I wish we also had an educational institution like the Sirius University of Science and Technology. OIBO is an important milestone in my life. The practical round alone has opened up new pathways in science for me. When doing science, I am not completely sure what I want to work with — animals, plants, microorganisms… But participating in OIBO gives me a lot of experience and helps me understand that the direction I am moving in is the right one. For me, biology is the best thing we have right now," says Pornpawee Sriwongniam from Thailand.
"I think the students of Sirius are very lucky: they can enjoy these landscapes while focusing on their studies at a modern university. I wish we also had an educational institution like the Sirius University of Science and Technology. OIBO is an important milestone in my life. The practical round alone has opened up new pathways in science for me. When doing science, I am not completely sure what I want to work with — animals, plants, microorganisms… But participating in OIBO gives me a lot of experience and helps me understand that the direction I am moving in is the right one. For me, biology is the best thing we have right now," says Pornpawee Sriwongniam from Thailand.
In the evening, the participants did a quiz called ‘One World, One Quiz, One Team'. The competitors could interact with each other in a relaxed atmosphere and test their knowledge of other countries and cultures.
