PARIS: Saudi Arabia’s National Physics Team won four medals at the 55th International Physics Olympiad in Paris which ran from July 17 to 25, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
Mazen Al-Shakhs won silver, while Hussein Al-Saleh, Mohammed Al-Arfaj, and Ali Al-Hassan each won bronze at the IPhO.
The latest medal haul has raised the Kingdom’s overall tally at this annual event to seven silver, 23 bronze, and 22 certificates of appreciation.
A total of 425 students from 85 countries competed in the contest this year.
Saudi Arabia’s achievement was a result of intensive training for the students by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, the SPA reported.
Support was provided by the Ministry of Education, and sponsorship by Saudi Aramco.
The IPhO is an annual competition for high school students, with each national delegation allowed up to five student competitors plus two leaders.
Similar to other Olympiads, member countries take turns hosting the competition. It was first held in Warsaw, Poland, in 1967, and last year in Isfahan, Iran.
In 2026, the host will be Bucaramanga, Colombia.
In the event’s 58-year history, China has emerged as the most dominant, with Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and the US completing the top five.
