  The situation surrounding the Olympiads is paradoxical. On the one hand,
considerable resources are spent on the Olympiads. On the other hand, there are
widespread arguments about the harm of the Olympiads, often very strange ones.
For example, there is a perception that success in the Olympiads has little to
do with a scientific career. Sometimes it comes to curious assertions, such as
that "there are no Olympiad winners among the eminent mathematical
researchers," even though in truth the percentage of famous mathematicians
among former Olympiad winners is much greater than among those who did not
participate in such competitions

History and Overview