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They represented three continents and four hemispheres. They spoke four languages. They were all geography whizzes. The teams from Argentina, Canada, and Russia advanced to the finals by scoring highest in the preliminary competition. Alex Trebek of the TV show Jeopardy! posed questions to the teams as they battled for the championship. Only two points separated the three teams after the seventh round. During the eighth and final round, Canada took the lead, with a score of 37 out of 50 points, and won the gold medals. Argentina, with 35 points, won the silver; and Russia, with 32 points, won the bronze. The next International Geography Olympiad is planned for 1999 with even more teams participating.

Canadian team members (left to right) Durgesh Saraph from Ontario, Rohan Verghese from Ontario, Armand Gaudry from British Columbia, and Pierre-Marc Lanteigne from Quebec celebrate their victory.

Photograph by Mark Thiessen

Click here for audio coverage of the final round.

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