According to Xinhua News Agency's report on August 16, the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) concluded in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The Chinese team won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal, achieving an outstanding result by taking first place in the team competition.
This competition took place from August 9th to 15th, with nearly 400 participants from over 90 countries and regions around the world. The competition consisted of two official days, during which participants had to solve informatics problems involving algorithm design, data structures, and program implementation. Xu Qiwen, a member of the Chinese team, ranked first in the world with a score of 498.27 points, becoming the highest-scoring participant in this event; Zhao Shenghao placed third.
The International Olympiad in Informatics is organized by UNESCO and is one of the five major international scientific olympiads. It was first held in Bulgaria in 1989, and since then, it has been held annually. The next competition will be held in Germany.
It is reported that, as the world’s second-largest international academic competition, the International Olympiad in Informatics aims to identify future computer talents and promote international youth scientific and technological exchanges.
According to Xinhua Daily·Jiaohui Point News and Ziniu News, in this competition, Xu Qiviwen from Nanjing Foreign Language School ranked first in the world, leading the field with her strong performance, which helped the Chinese team win the team championship.
According to the official rankings of the competition, three of the four Chinese athletes are in the gold medal zone. Xu Qiwen ranks first in the world, leading the field with her outstanding skills. Ziniu News
Xu Qiwen told reporters that his path to the championship was full of twists and turns. Before the competition, he had already set his mind on winning the championship. However, his performance was not good on the first day. Before the second match started, he was very nervous. 'Fortunately, I managed to stabilize my mindset in the second match and successfully achieved a comeback!'
Why can one maintain a consistent performance in multiple competitions, and keep putting in effort over a long period of time? Xu Qiwen said in a previous interview: "The main reason I can keep putting in effort is because of passion. There are many peers at Nanyang Foreign Language School who truly love informatics, and there are teachers who actually understand informatics. We enjoy the process of algorithm competitions together. The stable platform-based competitions within the school provide me with continuous enjoyment. Keeping my ranking high and striving for more success also requires constant effort. Passion and a positive atmosphere help me stay in training mode."
