On 12/7 at the 2026 International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Colombia, Nguyen Nhat Minh, an 11th-grade physics student from THPT chuyen Khoa hoc tu nhien, Dai hoc Quoc gia Ha Noi, won a gold medal. He was also one of two students to achieve a perfect 30/30 score in the theoretical section.

Minh's result helped the Vietnamese team rank among the top 7 out of 85 participating delegations, marking their best performance to date. According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this is the first time the Vietnamese team has had two students achieve perfect theoretical scores.

"My goal was a gold medal, but I never expected to achieve a perfect theoretical score. I am very happy, surprised, and delighted," the 17-year-old said.

Nhat Minh with his IPhO 2026 gold medal. *Photo courtesy of interviewee*

Minh recounted starting physics in middle school and quickly developing a passion for it as he gained a better understanding of natural phenomena. In 8th grade, he led the physics team for the former Long Bien district and achieved the top score on the entrance exam for the 10th-grade specialized physics class at THPT chuyen Khoa hoc Tu nhien. Notably, among more than 600 candidates, Minh was the only one to score 10 in the specialized subject.

Before participating in the IPhO, Minh won first prize in the national outstanding student selection exam, passing the Ministry's regional and international team selection rounds. At the Asian Physics Olympiad in May, he earned a silver medal, leading the Vietnamese team.

During his preparation, Minh and his teammates trained at Dai hoc Su pham Ha Noi. Beyond classroom hours, he focused on self-study by intensely practicing past Asian and international exam questions. He also analyzed how questions were structured and presented, and honed his ability to extract key information from lengthy problems.

For the practical section, Minh virtually "camped out" in the laboratory. Some days, he was so engrossed in his work that he missed dormitory curfew and simply slept there.

Assessing himself, Minh felt confident in mechanics and optics, as well as calculation-heavy problems. Conversely, he often found questions about the universe challenging due to their abstract nature. Despite a demanding study schedule, Minh tried to sleep before 0h30. He mentioned often being the first on the team to go to bed, even encouraging his teammates to rest.

The IPhO exam comprised two sections: theoretical and practical, each lasting 5 hours and containing multiple questions. According to Minh, the exam was "more manageable" than in previous years, featuring familiar phenomena and fewer complex questions.

The theoretical exam was essay-based. The first problem, involving mechanics, aligned perfectly with his strengths and presented three distinct scenarios. "Opening the exam and immediately seeing a problem in my strong suit made me quite excited," Minh said.

For the final problem, Minh had to prove a formula related to magnetic fields and heat. He considered this the most difficult problem, spending an hour contemplating various solutions before deciding to stick with his own approach.

Regarding the practical section, Minh noted that for one problem, his results had a considerable deviation from reality. Additionally, during the experiment, a water valve in the setup broke, requiring him to wait about 10 minutes for the organizers to fix it. "Fortunately, these issues did not significantly affect my mindset or exam results," Minh recounted.

Nhat Minh with his mother (in pink shirt) and teachers before departing for IPhO 2026. *Photo courtesy of interviewee*

Having supported students competing in the IPhO for 15 years, Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen Cong Toan, Vice Principal of THPT chuyen Khoa hoc Tu nhien, stated that achieving a perfect score is extremely rare, even for strong teams like Trung Quoc.

Having taught Minh since the end of 9th grade, he described his student as having excellent critical thinking skills, being calm, and determined. The student's strength lies in his ability to combine a solid foundation in physics with mathematical knowledge to solve complex problems. "Knowing Minh earned a gold medal with a perfect theoretical score made me happy, but not entirely surprised, as I believed he had the ability to solve those problems," the teacher said. Toan noted that his student still has many opportunities for development but should not become complacent or rest on his laurels.

Beyond scores and medals, Minh's journey at the IPhO left him with many memorable experiences. He shared that it was his first long-distance flight. He met friends from various countries, learned about local culture, and tasted dishes made from ants in Colombia.

After the competition, Minh plans to dedicate more time to studying English for certification exams, preparing for his future overseas study plans.

Thanh Hang