Introducing the team selected to represent Australia at the 2025 International Physics Olympiad!
Congratulations to the team of students selected to represent Australia at the International Physics Olympiad, which will be held from 17 to 25 July 2025 in Paris, France.
The following exceptional students have been chosen to represent Australia:
- Isaac Chan, Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology, QLD
- Matthew Yan, Balwyn High School, VIC
- Yichen Eason Yang, Trinity Grammar School, Kew, VIC
- Owen Zhai, Brisbane State High School, QLD
- Houlai Zhou, Sydney Grammar School, NSW
The team was honoured at the Australian Olympiad Teams Announcement at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra on 23 June 2025. The ‘blazer ceremony’ was attended by the students and their families, program teams and distinguished guests from science, math and informatics communities. The team was congratulated by Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Science, and Professor Tony Haymet, Australia’s Chief Scientist.
Their journey started by sitting the nation-wide Australian Science Olympiad (ASO) Exam in July 2024 before being selected to attend ASO Summer School in January 2025, onsite at the Australian National University. From here, eight students were selected for the team who represented Australia in the 2025 Asian Physics Olympiad. The final five selected students have outperformed thousands of other students in qualifying exams and intensive training to earn their place on the IPhO team.
The team have gained immense knowledge and skills during the last year, under the guidance of Program Director, Lachlan McGinness, and Deputy Program Director, Maggie Webber, along with a team of physics enthusiasts. This includes Grace McGinness and Raymond Trinh, who along with Lachlan and Maggie, will support the team when they compete overseas.
The students have been supported by their teachers and schools, along with their families and friends, to reach the prestigious achievement of being selected to represent Australia.
We want to extend our sincere wishes to the Australian team representing us at the International Physics Olympiad in 2025. Your dedication and hard work have been truly inspiring, and we have full confidence in your abilities. Best of luck!
Isaac Chan
Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics & Technology, QLD
Isaac has been involved with Big Science Competition and Junior Science Olympiad Exams through his school, before undertaking ASO Exams. He then attended ASO Summer Schools, where using the fancy lab equipment was a highlight. From there, Isaac represented Australia at the 2025 Asian Physics Olympiad where he earnt a bronze medal, before being selected for the IPhO team.
Isaac finds physics fun and intuitive. “In physics, except for quantum mechanics, there is always a logical reason for why things are the way they are.” He also tinkers with computer science, enjoying the mathematical component of it.
He is looking forward to meeting new people from across the globe at the International Physics Olympiad this year.
Matthew Yan
Balwyn High School, VIC
Matthew has been involved with the Big Science Competition and Junior Science Olympiad Exams through his school, before undertaking ASO Exams. Matthew says, “I didn’t know much about physics until I decided to take the exam.” After ASO Summer School, he became fascinated with physics, where he could solve problems and feel useful in the process. He was selected to represent Australia in the 2025 Asian Physics Olympiad, where he won a bronze medal.
Matthew is particularly interested in space; he enjoys pondering the big questions about the origins of stars and galaxies alike. He is looking forward to exploring Paris during the International Physics Olympiad.
Outside of the Olympiads, Matthew is a talented musician, playing both the violin and saxophone while also composing his own music.
Yichen ‘Eason’ Yang
Trinity Grammar School Kew, VIC
Eason has been involved with the Olympiads for several years. He was selected to represent Australia at the 2022 International Junior Science Olympiad. Eason also represented Australia at the Asian Physics Olympiad, in Malaysia in 2024 and Saudi Arabia in 2025, where he earned silver both times.
Eason is “looking forward to immersing myself in local culture and touring the cities we visit” at the International Physics Olympiad in Paris. He is enchanted by the depth and breadth of physics – a subject that “allows us to model everything from atomic lattices to black holes.” He is also interested in the philosophy and history that support modern science.
Eason says, “[In physics] if you stop being anxious, sometimes the problem will solve itself.”
Outside of science, Eason enjoys running, chess, and playing the oboe.
Owen Zhai
Brisbane State High School, QLD
Science has been Owen’s passion since he was a little kid. His efforts through Junior Science Olympiad Exams, Spring School and Academy culminated in Owen representing Australia at the 2024 International Junior Science Olympiad in Romania, where he earned gold! He also represented Australia at the 2025 Asian Physics Olympiad where he won silver.
At ASO Summer School, he enjoyed meeting lifelong friends and singing late-night karaoke. He also enjoys hanging out with friends, playing the cello, table tennis, and sometimes, baking!
Owen loves physics because “it allows us to formalise our intuition of the everyday.” He is inspired by the theory of relativity and how scientific discovery is driven by international collaboration.
Owen is looking forward to solving physics’ hardest problems with his ASO Summer School friends at the International Physics Olympiad.
Houlai Zhou
Sydney Grammar School, NSW
“Physics, of course!” is Houlai’s favourite science. He loves how mathematics and physical principles can be used to explain everyday phenomena with great accuracy.
This was demonstrated through his efforts at the Asian Physics Olympiad, in Malaysia in 2024 and Saudi Arabia in 2025, where he earned gold both times. Houlai has also participated in JSO exams through his school, and been invited to ASO Summer Schools. He was selected for the team representing Australia at the 2024 International Physics Olympiad but unfortunately the team could not travel to Iran to compete.
Houlai is excited for the challenging but insightful problem sets of the International Physics Olympiad. Houlai is keen to find new ways of approaching these problems while being immersed in a competitive environment.
He is interested in pursuing a career pushing the boundaries of known physics in an industry setting. Outside of physics, Houlai is a keen musician, having played the piano for 14 years and, more recently, the flute.
Australian Science Olympiads (ASO) programs are run by Australian Science Innovations, a registered not-for-profit proudly delivering science extension programs for over 35 years. Each year we select and support the teams representing Australia at the International Science Olympiads.
The ASO program is supported by our Major Funder, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, and our University Partner, The Australian National University.
Learn more about Australian Science Olympiads program here.
Learn more about the 2025 International Physics Olympiad on their website ipho2025.fr
For updates on the Australian team during the International Physics Olympiad, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our ASI News e-letter.
