Year 12 student James Gifford, from Dickson College, Canberra was selected to represent Australia at the International Physics Olympiad in Vienna in June.
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His place on the five-member Australian team was secured by coming second in a five-hour qualifying exam. The exam was sat by the top 17 Australian physics students at a training camp in Canberra.
Gifford took the test without a break, only relying on a packet of biscuits for sustenance before attending his regular mathematics class. Contrary to the stereotype of a studious bookworm, Gifford's physics teacher, Terry Beven, described him as someone who is not just focused on his academics and dawning thick glasses.
The Australian team, which had only participated in the international competition once before, competed against 25 other national teams in a series of theory and practical exams. Before the competition, the Australian team had to raise $3500 to cover the travel expenses.
The Australian Science Olympiads Committee encouraged participation and awareness in the following year's competition in schools all over the country.
