'Here's The US Team': Why This Subtle Roast On America's Math Olympiad Victory Is Viral

The United States team has won the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in the United Kingdom. There were 609 competitors this year from 108 nations. With 192 points, the US team earned the first position. Each person’s score is determined by how they answer six difficult questions. While one user applauded the victorious side on X, another offered a subtle roast.

A Bloomberg writer and an Emmy-nominated host, Ashlee Vance, wrote on X, “The US just beat China in the Math Olympiad. A great win for the country and immigration and proof that individuals can overcome poor public education.”

We could now wonder why Vance included the explicit reference that “the US beat China in the Math Olympiad.” This is due to the stereotype held in Western nations that Asians are brilliant mathematicians.

Although that may not always be the case, American students performed worse in maths on the 2023 Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, than students in 36 other countries. Chinese students had the greatest scores.

Despite the US experts repeatedly cautioning against math phobia in children, Vance attempted to frame this year’s accomplishment as a “great win for the country.”

But, a user quietly revealed an intriguing revelation or, more precisely, merely a team picture of the winning squad.

“Here is the U.S. team,” the user said, reposting Vance’s post.

Interestingly, just two US citizens and five Asian immigrants make up the victorious US squad of seven.

The re-post garnered more than 2 million views with one user satirically commenting, “Those 2 translators should be happy as well!”

Another user said, “As someone who is 1/4 Japanese, I must ask: WHY ARE THEY ALL ASIAN lmfaooooooo. Some stereotypes are just too accurate sometimes.”

Yet another user took a humorous approach saying, “Two white lads, an Indian & a Korean. Looks like Victory.”

“I can’t tell you how many jokes I didn’t post,” read another comment.

Meanwhile, a user commented, “I am surprised to see a white guy TBH.”

The IMO, which draws the top young mathematicians from all over the world, is the top high school mathematics championship in the world. This year, the first place was secured by the US team with 192 points.