TEHRAN – Iran’s Physics Olympiad team, consisting of five students, has achieved an astounding triumph at the International Scientific Physics Olympiad 2026, winning two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.

Hirbod Foudazi was ranked first among all participants, receiving the title of absolute winner, achieving the best result in the Theoretical Exam, and grabbing the gold medal and the national diamond, IRNA reported.

Amir-Sam Goharpey won the other gold medal; Kian Zarrabian and Mohammad Mirmohammadi received a silver medal and a bronze medal, respectively.

The ISPhO-2026 Olympiad was held exclusively online from June 21 to June 30, 2026. All events took place on the Olympiad’s website and consisted of:

Theoretical exam: three problems, one of which involved elements of computer modeling (no special programming skills required).
Experimental exam: working with specialized software that emulates experimental equipment, as well as working with experimental data.

The online experimental exam was entirely devoted to computer modeling and data processing. Participants were provided with software that simulates the operation of scientific equipment.

Each country could register a team of up to 5 participants and 2 team leaders. All participants had to be under 20 years of age as of July 31, 2026.

Recent achievements

Four Iranian female students attended the Open International Geography Olympiad (OpenGeo) 2026, winning four medals, including a silver medal and three bronze medals for the first time.

Artina Heidari won the silver medal; Setayesh Haqnazari, Sana Karbalaei Vali, and Helia Khodabandelou received the bronze medals, IRIB reported.

The achievement showcased the Iranian students’ comprehensive expertise in geography and serves as a significant step in preparing students for successful participation in the International Geography Olympiad (IGO).

The OpenGeo aims to promote interest in geography among secondary school students worldwide; develop geographical thinking, analytical, and practical skills among school students and future geographers; and support international connections between young geographers.

Organized by the Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow State University High School, and Primakov School, the competition was held online on June 20 and 21, with competitors from 27 countries attending the contest.

The participants were students aged between 14 and 19 years old enrolled in secondary school or graduating in 2026.

The competition consisted of a Written Response Test (WRT) taking 2.5 hours, a Practical and Mapping Exercise (PME) taking 2.5 hours, and a Multimedia Test (MMT) taking one hour.

Iran among top eight countries in intl. Olympiads

Iran ranks eighth worldwide in international Olympiads as the country stood respectively third, seventh, and eighth in mathematics, computer, and physics Olympiads last year, IRNA quoted Reza Hosseini, the head of the Young Scholars Club, as saying in February.

Many countries, such as China and the U.S., as well as world’s big technological companies are directly in touch with the club to attract Iranian Olympiad winners, he added.

He went on to say that the country allocates specific facilities to these gifted students. The gold winners can major in their specialized fields in Iranian universities without participating in the university entrance exam.

Students who have grabbed gold at the International Biology Olympiad can study medical sciences, and those who won gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad or the International Physics Olympiad can major in technical and engineering fields.

The club aims to improve the country’s ranking in international Olympiads, Hosseini stressed.

MT/MG