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Allergy Olympics

We are pleased to announce that ALLSA will be celebrating the 5th Allergy Olympics during its 2026 Annual Meeting, Aug 13 to 16 in Cape Town.

The competition is designed to mix fun and learning in a fast-paced quiz-style game before a live audience. The Allergy Olympics is patterned after the “College Bowl” television quiz show where various teams competed against each other to answer correctly the questions put before them by the moderator. Contestants sound a buzzer as soon as they think they know the answer. Many times, moderators are cut off mid-sentence, and the contestant will answer the question on the basis of what little the moderator said. The team securing the most correct answers wins

Teams will compete to answer a variety of serious (science themed) and not-so serious (trivia) questions posed by an expert panel. This year 8 teams will be selected to participate, each team comprising 2 contestants. There will be two “pools” in which 4 teams square off against each other to determine which 2 will go forward into the finals. 4 teams will then compete in the final round. The winning team will take home the trophy by answering more questions correctly and quickly than the other teams.

Audience participation is encouraged and cheering and jeering are allowed. What is prohibited is shouting out the answers and booing contestants, though the moderator and the judges have has been known sometimes to be on the receiving end of a few well placed “boos.” Between rounds, flash questions will be thrown open to the audience to earn spot prizes.

The event will be held on Friday 14th August at 4:00.  Admission is free as it is part of the congress programme.

Costs for the event will be derived via named sponsorships, with the sponsor being at the event each year. Sponsors will have no input into questions, contestant selection or determining the results of the quiz. Please lend your support to this enjoyable educational experience.  We look forward to seeing you at the Allergy Olympics in August.

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Rules

  1. Possible contestants must:
    • Apply to be considered for selection as a contestant AND
    • Be registered and paid for the congress before the final date of selection of contestants AND either
    • Apply with another individual as a team or as a single contestant to be paired up AND ANY of the below:
    • Be under the age of 40 OR
      Having written the allergy diploma within the prior 10 years OR
      Be studying towards the allergy diploma OR
      Willing to compete against their peers despite none of the above.

  2. Participants will be selected by the selection and judging panel, which will comprise the conference scientific committee OR their nominee each year. Sponsors shall have no knowledge of, or influence over the selection process. The 2026 panel will comprise Mike Levin, Pieter De Waal and Jonny Peter.

  3. This year 8 teams will be selected to participate, each team comprising 2 contestants. There will be two “pools” of 4 teams who square off against each other to determine which 2 will go forward into the final round. In the case of a tie for qualification for the final round, a direct playoff of 3 questions will decide the qualifier. 4 teams will compete in the final round. In the finals, a team must win by at least 2 scores.

  4. Each round has 15 questions. Each question is worth 10 points.
    • All rounds must conform (at least 80%) to this list:
    • 2 asthma questions
    • 2 pollen/aeroallergen questions
    • 2 general allergy questions
    • 1 food allergy question
    • 1 ENT question
    • 1 immunology question
    • 1 anatomy/physiology question
    • 1 dermatology question
    • 1 therapy question
    • 1 stinging insect question
    • 1 medical/allergy history question
    • 1 trivia questions regarding the city the event is being held in.

  5. All questions are posed to all contestants. When a question is asked, contestants may buzz in at any time by pressing their buzzer, HOWEVER… the question will be stopped at that time, the moderator will not finish asking the question.

  6. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.

  7. If a team provides a wrong answer to a question, the quizmaster will continue to read the question until another team buzzes in or the question is read in its entirety. If a second team buzzes in before the question is finished, again, the reading of the question will stop and the team will provide an answer. If this answer is also wrong, the question will be continued. Only teams that have not buzzed in have the opportunity to answer successive tries at the same question.

  8. A committee will select the final questions and the correct answer. During the competition the committee will deliberate on any answers given that do not match the “ideal correct answer” to ascertain its validity. If there is any question regarding the answers or wording of questions, the judging committees decision is final. Protests may be lodged with the committee after the conclusion of the quiz.

  9. The winning team will be presented with a rotating trophy. It is mandatory for the trophy to be displayed by the winning team at the congress dinner. It is highly encouraged that winners attend the following years congress to hand over the trophy in person to the incoming winners.

  10. Team members will receive travel grants of R3000 to the meeting.

  11. Each participating team must submit 10 written questions with answers, and if appropriate, references. These may be used in this year’s or in subsequent year’s competition.

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