Vietnam's national physics team delivered a strong collective performance at the 2026 European Physics Olympiad, securing one gold medal and four silver medals at the competition held in Sweden from June 12th to 16th. The results were confirmed on the morning of June 17th by Associate Professor Nguyen Cao Khang of Hanoi University of Education, who led the Vietnamese delegation. The haul represents a solid showing for a non-European nation competing against the continent's strongest young scientific minds.
Vietnam's Medal Winners in Full
The sole gold medal was claimed by Nguyen Nhat Anh, a student from Le Quy Don Specialized High School in Da Nang, distinguishing himself as the standout performer in a team of five. The four silver medals were distributed across schools from different regions of the country, reflecting the breadth of Vietnam's physics talent pipeline. Luong Duc Gia Bao of Hung Vuong Specialized High School in Phu Tho took one silver, while Nguyen Thanh Trung and Hoang Van Thai Son, both from Bac Ninh Specialized High School, earned two more. Nguyen Vu Manh Khang from Le Quy Don Specialized High School in Gia Lai completed the silver medal count. The team was guided by Associate Professor Nguyen Cao Khang as team leader and Dr. Luu Manh Quynh from the Faculty of Science at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, as deputy leader. Much like disciplines that reward precision and preparation - from fencing to shooting, or indeed sports where enthusiasts bet on water polo cyprus - competitive physics at this level demands both technical mastery and composure under pressure.
Context and Competition Format
The European Physics Olympiad has been held annually since 2017, targeting high school students from across Europe and a select group of invited nations. EuPhO 2026 brought together nearly 200 students representing 35 European countries and 6 invited teams, with each national delegation fielding a maximum of five competitors. The examination structure is rigorous: participants sit two separate papers - a theoretical exam and a practical exam - each lasting five hours. Vietnam has taken part in the competition since 2019, with its team selected by the Vietnam Physics Society from students who have excelled in national-level scientific competitions.
How This Result Compares
Vietnam's 2025 campaign had been the high-water mark in the team's short EuPhO history, yielding two gold medals - described at the time as the country's best result across six years of participation. By that benchmark, the 2026 edition represents a step back in terms of gold medals, though the five-medal total underlines the consistent depth of Vietnamese physics education at the elite level. The country's ability to qualify competitive, medal-winning teams against primarily European opposition speaks to the strength of its specialized high school system, which feeds into the Vietnam Physics Society's rigorous national selection process. With students from Da Nang, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, and Gia Lai all medaling, no single institution or region holds a monopoly on the country's top scientific talent.
