"I'm not too surprised, this is the goal I set before starting the International Physics Olympiad this year," male student Vo Hoang Hai, (grade 11, High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences, University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) quickly shared after receiving the information that he won the gold medal at the International Physics Olympiad 2023.

With this year's gold medal, Vo Hoang Hai continues to set an unprecedented record - the first student to win gold medals two years in a row while still in 11th grade. Before Hoang Hai, there were 5 Vietnamese students who won two gold medals in two consecutive years, since Vietnam participated in the International Physics Olympiad in 1981, but all the contestants were one grade above Hoang Hai when they competed.

In 2022, Hoang Hai also made history by becoming the first 10th grader in Vietnam to win a gold medal at this competition. In addition to the gold medal, Hai was also the contestant with the highest practical score in the team.

Ms. Do Mai Hoa - Hoang Hai's mother expressed that the family is happy and pleased with the results her son has achieved. She admitted that she does not put too much expectation on her son's achievements, which would make him feel pressured, but always encourages him to be confident and learn to accept and overcome everything, whether he succeeds or fails.

Ms. Hoa said that since childhood, Hai has always been a thoughtful person, making the family feel secure before each of his decisions. In particular, at the age of 3, Hai was able to read thick books and showed the ability to recognize letters and numbers...

"Coming to the International Physics Olympiad this year, my mother always comforted me to make me feel comfortable and less stressed. Because I know how terrible the pressure in the exam room is. Luckily, I overcame it and proved myself. Since the Vietnamese team for the 2023 International Physics Olympiad was established, I have been eating and sleeping in the school dormitory. That time helped me grow up through new experiences. The family is proud of me," Mai Hoa added.

Since middle school, Vo Hoang Hai has been known as a gifted student. Hai has had a passion for numbers since he was 2 years old, could read stories at the age of 3, and was interested in Physics and Science when he started first grade. Notably, he also learned all the Physics knowledge of middle school by the time he was in 8th grade.

This 11th grader once shared: "For me, the first and most important thing when studying is discipline. Therefore, every week I try to create for myself a systematic and detailed timetable. In addition, I also create a goal table to monitor my study progress that week. This helps me monitor my study progress, manage myself better and make reasonable adjustments if necessary."

Hoang Hai always pays attention to the total study time. Although he is passionate about Physics, he still balances his time so as not to spend too much time on this subject because "if you study too much, it will easily lead to boredom, loss of passion, and ineffective study".

In addition to his proactive, self-reliant and passionate spirit, Hoang Hai also diligently learns from his seniors. The male student considers them a valuable source of information and experience. From his seniors, he equips himself with many important skills so that when studying or taking exams, he can achieve the best results.

Despite a full week of studying, the golden boy of International Physics does not forget to have some leisure time. His forms of relaxation are quite simple like his peers, such as reading comics, watching cartoons, texting friends on social networks or playing games.

In addition, Vo Hoang Hai is also a member of the research team, manufacturing microchips applied in brain-simulating artificial intelligence systems to serve life and the community with teachers at the Nano and Energy Center (University of Natural Sciences) and actively participating in activities at the XPhO Physics Club, Astronomy, For Hoang Sa - Truong Sa Club and many other activities towards the community and supporting people with disabilities.

In December 2022, Vo Hoang Hai was honored to receive the Second Class Labor Medal from the President and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee awarded the Outstanding Young Vietnamese Faces Award 2022.

Sharing about his future goals, Hai said: "In the future, I want to become a physicist to research and invent many technological products, contributing to the prosperous development of the country."

The 2023 International Physics Olympiad will be hosted by Japan. After a one-year postponement and two years of online organization, the 53rd edition will be held in person from July 10 to July 17, 2023. The 2023 IPhO will be attended by 398 contestants from 84 countries and territories, making it the largest IPhO ever.

According to the regulations of the IPhO Council 2023, on the first day, candidates will take the Practical exam and on the second day, they will take the Theory exam. Each exam lasts 5 hours. Although this year's Theory and Practice exams are long, they are considered good, with content close to life and to high school students.

All 5/5 contestants in the Vietnamese team competing in the 2023 International Physics Olympiad won medals including: 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, 1 bronze medal. Of which, Vo Hoang Hai is the only contestant currently in grade 11.

The Ministry of Education and Training assessed that the achievements of Vo Hoang Hai in particular and the entire team in general helped Vietnam continue to consolidate its top position in the International Physics Olympiad over the years. "In particular, the practical exam scores of the Vietnamese team this year have significantly improved, showing that more attention has been paid to practical and experimental training," the Ministry of Education and Training stated.

Ha Cuong - Thi Thi