Chongqing - China claimed three gold medals and one silver to top the team standings at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026), which concluded Saturday in the Uzbek capital. Among the medalists, two students from Chongqing delivered historic performances for their city: Liu Jiawei from Chongqing Bashu Secondary School won gold - the first IOI gold ever for Chongqing - while He Yuxiang from Chongqing Nankai (Rongqiao) Secondary School took silver.

Liu Jiawei (second from left) and He Yuxiang (third from left). (Photo provided by the interviewee)

According to the official final rankings, the four-member Chinese team placed three in the gold tier. Xu Qiwen from Nanjing Foreign Language School topped the global leaderboard with 498.27 points as overall champion, followed by Zhao Shenghao from Zhejiang Jinhua No. 1 High School in third place. Liu Jiawei ranked 13th worldwide with 409.56 points, while He Yuxiang placed 38th.

The event, held from August 9 to 15, brought together nearly 400 contestants from more than 90 countries and regions. Over two competition days, participants tackled complex programming challenges covering algorithm design, data structures, and program implementation under strict five-hour time limits per day.

Competition scene. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

The competition proved particularly tense for Liu. Huang Xinjun, head coach of Bashu Secondary School's informatics Olympiad team, told reporters that this year's problems were more difficult than in previous editions. Liu performed steadily on the first day, but during the second day - at the four‑hour mark - his scores on the first two problems had dropped his ranking to beyond 50th place. The turning point came in the final half‑hour: Liu solved the hardest third problem with a perfect score, catapulting him to 9th place before he settled at 13th overall with 409.56 points.

"His greatest strength is his composure," Huang said of Liu. "He is good at reviewing his performance, takes advice from coaches, and stays positive."

Liu's path to the gold has been marked by steady progress. As a freshman in 2024, he earned a silver medal at the National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI); in 2025, he won NOI gold and secured early admission to Peking University. In February 2026, he was selected for the IOI Chinese national team.

Liu Jiawei receiving his gold medal. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Silver medalist He Yuxiang began systematic informatics training in his first year of middle school. By his third year, he achieved a perfect score in the National Olympiad in Informatics League and was selected for the Chongqing provincial team as an E‑category (junior) contestant, winning silver at the national final. In his first year of high school, he claimed NOI gold, earned a spot in the national training camp, and was admitted to Tsinghua University.

The IOI, initiated by UNESCO and one of the five major international science Olympiads, has been held annually since its debut in Bulgaria in 1989. According to the organizing committee, the next edition will be hosted in Germany.