Swiss programme themselves onto the podium in front of the pyramids

Silver

• Jovian Soejono, École internationale de Genève (GE)

Bronze

• Elias Bauer, Kollegium St. Fidelis (NW)
• Yaël Arn, Gymnasium Bäumlihof (BS)

Honourable mention

• Ursus Wigger, Alte Kantonsschule Aarau (AG)

Practice is the key

The four champions earned their ticket to the IOI by winning gold medals in the final of the Swiss Informatics Olympiad in May. Their journey to Alexandria took them via Stockholm. The Swedish delegation invited the Swiss to practise together from 24 to 31 August. The training paid off on 3 and 5 September. On the two days of the competition, the participants had to solve algorithmic problems using logical thinking and implement the solution without errors. The tasks were presented as short stories, for example as the riddle of the Sphinx.

Closing ceremony in front of a spectacular scenery

‘All in all, the tasks were really interesting,’ says Jovian. The result is also impressive: ‘Silver was my goal and I achieved it!’. In a historical comparison, it was a good performance for the Swiss team, writes Ursus in the Swiss Informatics Olympiad blog: ‘Not everyone won what they had hoped for, but we are all satisfied.’ The medal ceremony was a highlight of the week due to the spectacular backdrop: the closing ceremony, including dinner, took place in front of the Sphinx, with the pyramids of Giza in the background. ‘I didn't expect it to be so fancy, it was great,’ writes Ursus.

Competitions worth recommending

‘I've had lots of great experiences over the years, visited interesting places and got to know people,’ says Elias. ‘If someone is interested in programming and problem solving, I would definitely recommend the Computer Science Olympiad.’ For his many successes at the Olympiads in computer science and physics, the recent ETH student will receive the prize for the best interdisciplinary achievement at the Science Olympiad anniversary celebrations on 14 September.