Key Takeaways
- Historic Win: The five-member U.S. Physics Team made history in Paris, earning a gold medal for every member and becoming the only nation to sweep the 2025 Olympiad.
- White House Recognition: President Trump personally congratulated the champions at a special reception, calling their success proof of American exceptionalism in science and technology.
- Policy Context: The event followed Trump’s new H-1B visa fee policy, underscoring his message that America must prioritize and invest in its own homegrown talent.
President Donald J. Trump welcomed America’s brightest young minds to the White House in late September, celebrating the U.S. Physics Team’s historic sweep at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Paris. For the first time in history, every member of Team USA walked away with gold—five medals in total—making America the only nation to achieve a clean sweep in 2025.
The champions—Agastya Goel, Allen Li, Joshua Wang, Feodor Yevtushenko, and Brian Zhang—were honored personally by the President, who praised their achievement as a testament to American exceptionalism in science and technology. Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, announced the reception on social media, calling the team’s victory a “world-class accomplishment.”
Critics couldn’t resist seizing on the timing, which came just days after Trump signed a proclamation imposing new fees on H-1B visa applicants. But the juxtaposition only highlights the President’s point: America must celebrate homegrown talent, invest in its own future, and ensure U.S. workers—and students—aren’t undercut by cheap foreign labor.
By honoring the Physics Olympiad champions, Trump reminded the country that American ingenuity remains the envy of the world. And by tightening loopholes in the visa system, his administration is making sure opportunities remain open for the next generation of U.S. innovators.
The message is clear: whether on the factory floor, in the boardroom, or in the physics lab, America wins when we bet on our own people.