Who is Agastya Goel? Indian-origin teen wins gold in Physics Olympaid; 'did physics in front of the Taj Mahal'
2025 International Physics Olympiad
(IPhO), held from July 17 to 25 at Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau, Paris.
Competing under the theme 'Physics Beyond Frontiers,' the American delegation stood out among participants from 85 countries as the only team to secure gold across the board.
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The 2025 US Physics Team gold medallists are:
Agastya Goel
Allen Li
Joshua Wang
Feodor Yevtushenko
Brian Zhang
The olympiad was organised by the AAPT. The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), founded in 1930 and based in College Park, Maryland, is a global organization for physics educators and scientists. It promotes physics education through awards, publications, and programs that support teaching, professional development, and excellence in the field.
Who is Agastya Goel?
Agastya Goel, an Indian-origin student, sone of Harvard professor Ashish Goel, is a junior at Henry M Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California.
Beyond excelling in physics, his interests are broad and eclectic, ranging from tennis, hiking, stargazing, and singing, to playing guitar and piano, as well as listening to podcasts on news, economics, and science.
He enjoys frisbee and board games with friends and is actively involved in several school clubs, including the Gunn Board Game Club, Gunn Competitive Programming Club, Gunn Varsity Tennis Team, and Gunn Choir.
His achievements include an IOI Gold in 2023, USACO Finalist titles in 2024, 2023, and 2022, participation in MOP 2023, and recognition as a USAPhO Semifinalist with a 2023 Silver and 2022 Honourable Mention. He was also part of PRIMES-USA in 2023 and is a multiple-time Honor Choir Participant.
From June 2021 to February 2024, he also worked as a part-time researcher at Euler Circle in Palo Alto.
He also knows Hindi and Spanish according to his LinkedIn profile.
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Goel's early fascination with physics began during long car rides and hikes with his father.
While his first competitive experience came through the USACO competition series, beginning preparation in sixth grade and qualifying for training camp as a freshman, his passion for physics truly flourished this year.
He spent 14 days of his winter break immersed in Kevin Zhou's physics handouts, even studying in front of the Taj Mahal.
That experience cemented his love for the subject.
Reflecting on his journey, Goel says he once thought computer science would be his college path, but after diving into physics, he realised he had discovered another passion.
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