The 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) concluded in Tashkent after bringing together some of the world’s strongest young programmers. Held from August 9–16, the competition was hosted in Uzbekistan for the first time. Students from around the world competed in algorithmic problem-solving and programming.
Uzbekistan’s national team won four medals at the competition. Jakhonali Khaydaraliyev secured a silver medal, while three other members of the Uzbek team won bronze medals. The result marks one of Uzbekistan’s strongest performances in the history of the competition.
Kazakhstan also delivered a strong performance, winning one gold and three silver medals and finishing among the top five teams overall. Maksim Tsoy placed fifth individually.
Russia won two gold and two silver medals, with Vladislav Zhiganov, Maksim Kravchenko, Sergei Mukhanov and Vladimir Zvezdin representing the country among the medalists. Belarus earned one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. China delivered some of the strongest results of the competition, continuing its reputation as one of the world’s leading countries in competitive programming and training young technology talent.
The IOI is one of the world’s most prestigious programming competitions for school students. Each participating country can send up to four students, selected through national competitions. During the IOI, contestants compete individually and solve complex algorithmic problems under strict time limits.
Hosting the competition in Tashkent is also significant for Uzbekistan. It highlights the country’s growing focus on programming, digital education and the development of young technology talent.
The event therefore served not only as a programming competition, but also as a platform for identifying and celebrating the next generation of AI and technology talent. For Uzbekistan, IOI 2026 was particularly significant: the country hosted the prestigious olympiad for the first time and its team finished with one silver and three bronze medals.
