National Geographic World Championship 1997

Canada wins Geography Olympiad

Date: August 1997
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Team Canada: Durgesh Saraph, Rohan Verghese, Pierre-Marc Lanteigne and Armand Gaudry

It was a come-from-behind victory for Team Canada in the 1997 International Geography Olympiad held August 5 and 6 in Washington, D.C. The competition, organized by the National Geographic Society, included a multiple-choice test, an orienteering exercise and a skill-testing championship round.

Team Canada, sponsored by the RCGS, was behind entering the final round but pulled ahead to finish first. Argentina placed second, and Russia third. Team Canada, pictured here en route to the competition, included (clockwise from top left) Durgesh Saraph of Mississauga, Ont., Rohan Verghese of Brantford, Ont., Pierre-Marc Lanteigne of Boucherville, Que., and Armand Gaudry of Lillooet, B.C. Look for the full story in the next Canadian Geographic.

— Anita Lahey, Canadian Geographic Sept/Oct 1997

Photo: Team Canada 1997 (Photo: Wolf Kutnahorsky)