"Dream Team" Brings Home Mexico's First Ever Gold At International Math Olympiad

Culture & Community By O. Delgado12554 views

"This is the best showing Mexico has ever had in the competition."

The "Dream Team" almost didn't get to go to the competition. But, with a little help from none other than Guillermo del Toro, the 8 young Mexican mathletes won 8 medals, beating out 27 countries for the gold, the first in Mexico's history.

The International Mathematics Competition is considered one of the most difficult contests in the world. Five hundred students from 27 countries, mainly Asian, competed in this year's event - and Mexico proved that the people of the sun can hold their own.

"This is the best showing Mexico has ever had in the competition," the Mexican Math Olympiad tweeted.

¡Gracias @RealGDT! No queremos pensar qué hubiera pasado sin tu apoyo, pero aquí están los resultados:

Prueba Individual: 1 oro, 2 platas, 3 bronces, 2 menciones honoríficas.

Prueba por Equipos: 1 oro, 1 bronce.

Esta es la mejor participación mexicana en esta competencia. pic.twitter.com/YjSySZPdT9
— OMM (@ommtw) August 5, 2019

Mexico's team of 8 elementary and middle school mathletes, known as the "Dream Team," brought home 8 medals, including two gold medals, the first in Mexico's history. The young Aztecas also won an award for Most Creative Cultural Performance, dancing to Son de la Negra in their charro suits.

¿Si se nota que ensayamos? México se toma muy en serio la noche cultural y ensayamos el bailable a la par de los últimos entrenamientos. pic.twitter.com/PMq9MGekh8
— OMM (@ommtw) August 4, 2019

¡El primero de la noche!

México ganó Most Creative Cultural Performance en la Noche Cultural. ¡Esos ensayos dan resultados! pic.twitter.com/uxhUu2jNu0
— OMM (@ommtw) August 5, 2019

Twelve year old Mateo Iván Latapí Acosta of Mexico City puso el nombre de México en alto with an individual gold, and a team gold alongside his fellow middleschoolers.

Leonardo Míkel Cervantes Mateos, also from Mexico City, and Sebastián Montemayor Trujillo of Nuevo León brought home silver medals, while Karla Rebeca Munguía Romero of Sinaloa, Luis Eduardo Martínez Aguirre, also of Nuevo León, y Jacobo of Yucatán each came away with a bronze medal, as did the elementary school team.

But these young talents might not even have been able to compete without the help of none other than Guillermo del Toro.

Earlier this year, the equipo was struggling to raise the money they needed to travel to the competition in Durban, South Africa.

With very little help from the government and a fundraising campaign that just wasn't cutting it, things weren't looking good. That's when their hardship came to the attention of GDT.

The Oscar-winning director, who just received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, proved that he is as generous as he is talented, offering to pay for their flight.

A. ver, les ofrezco cubrir los boletos de avión para todos los 12 integrantes del equipo de Olimpiadas Matemáticas en Sudáfrica. @CDMXOMM los sigo- envíenme un DM por favor. Abrazos. https://t.co/GfLf2XFCgY
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) May 24, 2019

Dumbstruck and thrilled, the team accepted. And the rest, as they say, is history.