China won three gold medals and one silver at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026), topping the team standings as the competition concluded in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on Saturday. Photo: People's Daily

China won three gold medals and one silver at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026), topping the team standings as the competition concluded in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, on Saturday, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

The contest, held from August 9 to August 15, drew nearly 400 participants from more than 90 countries and regions. Contestants solved problems covering algorithm design, data structures and programming implementation. 

Chinese contestants delivered standout individual performances in the high-level contest. Xu Qiwen from the Chinese team claimed the top global spot with a score of 498.27, emerging as the highest-scoring participant at this year's IOI. Zhao Shenghao and Liu Jiawei ranked third and 13th respectively in the global standings, also taking gold medals. He Yuxiang finished 38th and took silver, per Xinhua.

"The road to the title was full of twists and turns," said Xu, a student at Nanjing Foreign Language School. "My first-day performance was not ideal. Before the second day's contest, I was very nervous. Fortunately, I steadied my mind on the second day and managed a comeback," according to a report by a Jiangsu-based news outlet. 

Asked how he maintains a consistent performance and long periods of intense effort, Xu said "The main reason I can keep working hard is passion."

Launched by UNESCO, the International Olympiad in Informatics is one of the five major international science Olympiads, with the other four in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. First held in Bulgaria in 1989, the prestigious academic event has been staged annually across the globe ever since. The tournament's organizing committee confirmed that the 39th edition of the International Olympiad in Informatics will take place in Germany in 2027.

Global Times