Published on: 2026-06-30
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The results of the IV International Scientific Physics Olympiad (ISPhO-2026) were summed up in Moscow, organized by the Ministry of Education and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). The Russian team showed the best team result and won 5 gold medals.
Schoolchildren were congratulated on this success by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov.
“The Russian national team once again showed the best result at the International Scientific Physics Olympiad – winning 5 gold medals and taking the Grand Prix. This is a colossal success! Our schoolchildren have proven that a curious mind and perseverance overcome difficulties. I thank their teachers, mentors, and parents for instilling in the children a love of knowledge and the ability to get to the very essence of everything. Our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin notes that some areas of activity in science and technology are very difficult to develop without Russia. The victory of our team confirms that the country has young talents capable of continuing the work of great domestic physicists, ensuring our technological leadership, and launching new projects of global scale. I wish the winners to maintain their interest in the exact sciences, continuously improve their skills, and make new groundbreaking discoveries!” – stated the Vice Premier.
Olympic gold medals were won by:
- Roman Vorobyov, P.L. Kapitsa Physics and Technology Lyceum, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region;
- Ksenia Karpovich, P.L. Kapitsa PhysTech Lyceum, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region;
- Maxim Solovyov, Lyceum “Second School” named after V.F. Ovchinnikov, Moscow;
- Igor Sorokin, P.L. Kapitsa PhysTech Lyceum, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region;
- Arseniy Khorechko, P.L. Kapitsa Physics and Technology Lyceum, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region.
“In a fierce competition, the Russian team won 5 gold medals and showed the best team result. Each of these awards is the result of hard work, deep knowledge, and genuine love for physics. The success of the Russian team is a worthy achievement on the world stage. It is important that this intellectual tournament was initiated by our country. Every year it gains increasing popularity, and the geography of the Olympiad expands. Special words of gratitude go to the mentors and organizers who helped the participants prepare for the Olympiad,” congratulated Sergey Kravtsov.
The team was led by Arseniy Pikalov, a tutor at the educational and methodological laboratory of MIPT for working with gifted children.
In the overall team standings, the first place was taken by the team from Kazakhstan, second by schoolchildren from Iran, and third by representatives of Belarus.
In the individual competition, the title of “Absolute Winner” was awarded to the participant from Iran, Foudazi Hirbod, who scored the highest number of points after two rounds. He was also honored with the title of “Best in the Theoretical Round.” The best in the experimental round was recognized as the representative from Cuba, Santiesteban Sarmiento Sergio Daniel.
The Olympiad consisted of two stages: theoretical and experimental. The organizing committee emphasized that, despite the exceptionally high level of difficulty, the structure of the tasks was designed so that each participant could fully demonstrate their knowledge. To ensure the integrity of the competition, MIPT’s proctoring system was used.
This year, 136 schoolchildren from 30 countries participated in the olympiad. The tournament was held online – this decision minimized logistical difficulties and significantly expanded the geographic reach of the participants. Representatives from African countries, for whom in-person participation in such competitions is often associated with serious transportation problems, joined ISPhO-2026. The remote format eliminated geographical barriers and allowed each participant to focus on the main thing – solving the most challenging physics problems.
Let us recall that in 2025, the III International Scientific Physics Olympiad (ISPhO-2025) was held in Khanty-Mansiysk. Russian schoolchildren won 5 medals, including 3 gold and 2 silver, and the Russian national team was awarded the Grand Prix of the tournament.
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