I was rereading the book *Littlewood's Miscellany* and this passage struck me:
> *It used to be said that the discipline in 'manipulative skill' bore 
later fruit in original work. I should deny this almost absolutely - such 
skill is very short-winded. My actual experience has been that after a 
few years nothing remained to show for it all except the knack, which has 
lasted, of throwing off a set of (modern) Tripos questions both suitable 
and with the silly little touch of distinction we still feel is called for; 
this never bothers me as it does my juniors. (I said 'almost' absolutely; 
there could be rare exceptions. If Herman had been put on to some 
of the more elusive elementary inequalities at the right moment I can 
imagine his anticipating some of the latest and slickest proofs, perhaps 
even making new discoveries.)*

I would like to ask a question to former math olympiad students who now are actively involved in math research. Do you find the training for olympiads useful in later research career as a mathematician?