Indonesian Students Shine at International Physics Olympiad, Winning 5 Medals

Indonesia's brightest young minds have achieved significant success at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, bringing home a total of five medals from the prestigious competition held in Bucaramanga, Colombia. The Indonesian team's performance included one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, marking a proud moment for the nation's science education.

Evan Syatia To, representing SMA BPK Penabur Gading Serpong in Tangerang, Banten, clinched the coveted gold medal. The silver medals were awarded to Ackhava Adam Malonda from SMA Wardaya in Jakarta and Gusti Komang Abhika Atmaja from SMA Kesatuan Bangsa in Yogyakarta. Adding to the team's accolades, Arrow Dunatos Pascha Kristian from SMA Negeri Unggulan MH Thamrin in Jakarta and Juan Richie from SMA Kristen Immanuel in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, earned bronze medals.

This achievement represents a notable improvement from the previous year's IPhO 2025, where Indonesia secured three bronze medals and two honorable mentions. The students were accompanied by Budhy Kurniawan R., M.Si. from Universitas Indonesia and Dr. Getbogi Hikmawan, M.Si. from Institut Teknologi Bandung. The IPhO competition assesses high school students' theoretical and experimental physics capabilities across various fields, including mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics, and modern physics.