Bac Giang male student's 'double' wins Gold Medal at World Physics Olympiad

According to information from the Ministry of Education and Training, all 5/5 students of the Vietnamese national team participating in the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in 2024 won medals, including 2 Gold Medals and 3 Silver Medals. The 2 Gold Medals belonged to Than The Cong and Truong Phi Hung, both 12th grade students at Bac Giang High School for the Gifted (Bac Giang). Talking to VietNamNet , Than The Cong said that he is currently still in Iran and is expected to return to Vietnam in 2 days. "For the exam and practical part, the organizers have set up very carefully, but the exam is quite long, so it is very difficult to complete. The theory part is quite new and difficult, the 3rd question is the most difficult, it is about Astrophysics. The other questions revolve around astronomy, lasers, atomic cooling and modern physics such as black body emission. I did quite well on the theory part, but I could not do the practical part, there was a question about heat transfer". When he heard the news that he won the Gold Medal, The Cong was truly overwhelmed with joy. Looking back on his journey, he shared that the luckiest thing was that on the path to pursuing his passion, he had the close companionship of his mother.

The Cong with his mother, grandparents and younger sister. Photo: Character provided

Explaining his passion for Physics, Cong said that the person who inspired him was his grandmother - a Physics teacher. Thanks to his grandmother, Cong had the opportunity to come into contact with interesting things in this subject. Seeing that his grandson was eager to learn, his grandfather also gave Cong books explaining natural phenomena such as "Why Questions", "Common Science Stories"... With the encouragement and motivation of his grandparents and relatives, the male student increasingly loved Physics. Going deeper into the research, he realized that this is a science subject with high practical application. The secret to the success of the male student of Bac Giang High School for the Gifted is always trying to understand the root of the problem in exercises, reference books or in the lectures of teachers. For Cong, the core to success is passion and determination to pursue that passion. Cong's experience to do well in the test is to have a firm grasp of theory, read many books, documents and do in-depth exercises. Having been trained through many competitions, he was always mentally comfortable and confident when entering the competition round in the Asian region. In particular, in competitions, Cong likes difficult and challenging questions so that he has the opportunity to assert himself. "I have to thank my mother very much because thanks to her, I have achieved the results I have today. Every time I participate in competitions, my mother is always worried, afraid that I will study too hard or be under pressure. Thanks to her encouragement and trust, I have achieved many high awards in competitions," Cong said. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung (The Cong's mother) said that she was very nervous all night waiting for her son's results. She burst into happiness when she heard that Cong won the Gold Medal at the International Physics Olympiad. “Since childhood, Cong has always been independent and highly conscious of studying and completing personal activities. Every day, he mainly studies in class. In his free time, Cong will read books and is very passionate about explaining phenomena and things happening around him for everyone to understand,” said Ms. Dung. Ms. Dung shared that Cong showed an inclination towards natural sciences from a young age. He is curious about many natural phenomena, especially interested in the universe with many questions such as: “Why do constellations appear?”, “Where do shooting stars come from across the sky?”… Those questions always appear in his mind and urge Cong to learn. It is known that Cong’s “huge” achievements are the result of a process of training and striving. Cong won the National First Prize in Physics for 3 consecutive years (grades 10, 11, 12), won the Bronze Medal at the 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad, and the Gold Medal at the 2024 Asian Physics Olympiad taking place from June 3 to 10, 2023 in Malaysia. He is the contestant with the highest achievement, this is the second consecutive year Cong has participated in the Asian Physics Olympiad. With outstanding achievements, Cong was exempted from the 2024 high school graduation exam and was directly admitted to many universities at home and abroad. When asked about his future plans, Cong shared that he has an IELTS 6.5 certificate, but he plans to spend time studying English in the near future and will choose a university in the US to continue studying and researching in the field of Physics.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/cu-dup-cua-nam-sinh-bac-giang-gianh-huy-chuong-vang-olympic-vat-ly-the-gioi-2306402.html