[szmerdi]

Each year, national math olympiad committees submit their toughest problems to the IMO. A select group makes the "shortlist," a pool of ~32 questions (8 per geometry, algebra, number theory, combinatorics). From this pool, the final six IMO problems are chosen through a rigorous voting process.

What makes a great IMO problem? It's all about originality. Ideal problems aren't just about applying advanced theorems, but rather test creative thinking and mastery of fundamental principles. Of course, there were cases in which the IMO committee didn't realize a problem was an obvious corrolary of a grad-level theorem, and some well-read (highschool) students benefited from knowing that!

My Journey: I was once a top-ranked competitor myself. After high school, I joined my country's math olympiad committee.