Vietnam's highest scorer at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad says he is delighted to have turned last year's silver medal into gold.
Nguyen Dinh Tung, a Grade 12 mathematics major at the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, under the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, won a gold medal at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), finishing as the highest-scoring member of Vietnam's team.
Tung scored 36 out of 42 points, solving five problems in full and earning one point on Problem 6, a number theory and combinatorics question that proved to be the most difficult for the Vietnamese team.
His performance placed him 14th among 666 contestants and gave him the highest score on Vietnam's six-member team.
Tung's result helped Vietnam finish fifth, according to the unofficial rankings, among 119 participating countries and territories, with a total of two gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal.
Upgrading silver to gold
Nguyen Dinh Tung won a gold medal at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad and recorded the highest score on Vietnam's team. Photo courtesy of the family.
Speaking to VietNamNet, Tung said he was delighted to have "changed the color" of his medal at one of the world's most prestigious mathematics competitions.
In 2025, while still in Grade 11, he represented Vietnam at the IMO and won a silver medal.
His father, Nguyen Dinh Khoi, said the family first learned about the gold medal through news reports and social media rather than from Tung himself.
"He has always been calm about results, whether they are successes or disappointments," Khoi said. "Tung rarely shows his emotions. He has never been overly competitive or concerned about comparing himself with others. He simply tries his best."
Luu Ba Thang, a lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education and one of Tung's IMO coaches, said he was not surprised by the result.
"Tung has outstanding ability and has consistently been one of the strongest students on the team. He is highly determined and remarkably resilient. His family lives in the outskirts of Hanoi and has not had abundant resources to invest in his education. He is strong across all areas of mathematics, especially geometry," Thang said.
The coach added that Tung may appear quiet and reserved to people who meet him for the first time, but he has exceptional composure.
"During years of training, whenever I assigned problems, Tung would immediately concentrate on solving them. He spoke only when asked and otherwise stayed focused on his work. He is diligent, hardworking and determined," Thang said.
Solving Grade 4 math while in Grade 1
According to his family, Tung showed an unusual fascination with numbers from an early age.
While in Grade 1, he was already able to solve some Grade 4 mathematics problems from his older brother's textbooks.
"Once he learned to read, he would take his brother's books, read them on his own and work through the math problems. Sometimes we found him solving his brother's homework," his father recalled.
The family lives in Quoc Oai, on the outskirts of Hanoi, where Tung initially attended a local primary school.
Teachers and family friends soon recognized his exceptional mathematical ability.
After he completed Grade 2, they encouraged his parents to enroll him in a school closer to the city center, where he would have greater opportunities to develop his talent.
Following a recommendation, Tung met Ngo Van Minh, then a teacher at Archimedes School.
When Minh asked him to complete several mental arithmetic exercises, Tung finished them quickly.
The teacher then introduced him to combinatorics, a topic normally taught to students in Grades 5 and 6.
Minh was surprised that Tung understood the lesson immediately and was able to solve the problems after hearing the explanation only once.
Recognizing his exceptional talent, Minh recommended Tung for admission to the school.
He was accepted with a 100% tuition scholarship and studied there from Grade 3 through Grade 9.
"The morning after meeting Mr. Minh, Tung woke up and immediately asked whether he would be going back to study with him that day," his father said. "That was when I realized that challenging mathematics problems had truly inspired him."
From then on, Tung and his father made the long journey into the city every day for school.
A quiet student with remarkable determination
Nguyen Dinh Tung with his parents. Photo courtesy of the family.
Khoi said his son enjoys discovering good books and spends a great deal of time reading.
"When Tung sits down to study, he is completely focused. We have never had to remind him to do his homework," he said. "My wife and I often joke that even if someone beat a drum beside him while he was studying, he would not notice. He has always managed his time carefully. During high school, he lived in the dormitory for three years at the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences and was highly disciplined and self-motivated."
Pham Ngoc Mai, Tung's mathematics teacher and homeroom teacher throughout his four years at Archimedes Secondary School, described him as a student with a rich inner world and broad knowledge across many subjects.
"He is also extremely humble," Mai said. "I still remember that when Tung was in Grade 6, I praised him in front of the class, and he crawled under the desk and cried because he did not want to be singled out."
According to Mai, Tung has always devoted himself to exploring elegant mathematical problems and solutions, constantly learning from teachers, classmates and reference books to broaden his knowledge and refine his skills.
A record of achievements
At every stage of his education, Tung collected medals and awards in national and international mathematics competitions.
In Grade 9, he won first prize in Hanoi's mathematics competition for outstanding students and received direct admission offers from both the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences and the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi National University of Education.
He also achieved the highest entrance score for the mathematics-specialized class at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, but ultimately chose to study at the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences.
In Grade 10, Tung won second prize in Vietnam's national competition for outstanding students and advanced to the final selection round for the IMO team, but narrowly missed a place.
A year later, he won first prize in the national competition and earned a silver medal at the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad.
Before this year's IMO, he also claimed a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad.
With his latest achievement, Tung has secured direct university admission.
He plans to study theoretical mathematics at the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, while pursuing his ambition of studying abroad in the future.
Vietnamnet.vn
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