You are here

Israel enjoys best-ever showing at youth world science championships

Sunday, 14. July 2013 - 13:17

Israel claims four medals at International Olympiad in Informatics in Australia, finishing eighth out of 80 countries.

Israeli competitors in the International Olympiad in Informatics, with Education Minister Shay Piron, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Science Minister Jacob Perry, July 2013. Photo by Mark Israel Salem

Four students helped Israel achieve its best-ever showing at the world's leading computer science competition, which concluded on Wednesday in Brisbane, Australia. The Israeli team claimed four medals at the International Olympiad in Informatics, including a gold and two silvers.

The gold medal was won by Daniel Hadas, 18.5, from Ayalon High School, Holon. Silver medal winners were Tom Kalvari, 17, from Hakfar Hayarok High School, Ramat Hasharon, and Ohad Klein, 17, a student at the Amit Yeshiva, Kfar Ganim. Ron Ryvchin, 18, a student from Samaria ORT High School, Binyamina, won the bronze.

As a result of its medals at the 25th international staging of the event, Israel was ranked eighth out of the 80 competing countries. In 2011, Israel was placed 19th, and in 2010 23rd. The first three places were taken by China, Russia and South Korea, respectively.

Speaking after his triumph, gold medalist Hadas said: "It's a great feeling. I can't say I expected a gold medal. I was lucky and am very happy with the achievement."

Teammate Tom Kalvari added, "We worked very hard. On Sunday we thought briefly that we wouldn't succeed, but on the second day we pulled ourselves together, made a great effort and managed to reach very respectable places."

Education Minister Shay Piron congratulated the students. "This is an impressive and exciting achievement," he said. "It's wonderful proof of the ability of Israeli children. There's no question that, thanks to our talents in the sciences, the State of Israel will continue to lead the world in the quality of scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation."

According to its official website, the International Olympiad in Informatics "is one of the most recognized computer science competitions in the world. The competition tasks are of algorithmic nature; however, the contestants have to show such basic IT skills as problem analysis, design of algorithms and data structures, programming and testing. The winners of the IOI belong to the best young computer scientists in the world."

Yarden Skop

Source: 
www.haaretz.com
Tags: 
championships
International Olympiad in Informatics
Israel