Eight Cuban students secured medals at the XV Ibero-American Informatics Olympiad, which was held online in Peru. The delegation, consisting of 15 pre-university students, achieved a total of six silver medals, two bronze medals, and two honorable mentions. These results placed Cuba in fourth position among the 16 participating countries, with Brazil, Mexico, and Spain taking the top three spots.
Leonardo Cardona, a professor at the José Maceo Institute of Exact Sciences in Guantánamo, explained to the Havana Citizen Portal that the competition took place on June 22 and 23. The exam involved solving four algorithmic problems within five hours, each of which could have multiple programming topics subdivided into subtasks. A single problem could have several solution algorithms for a given data range.
The Cuban team included: Camilo Triana Barata, Maité Morales Carreras, Marcos Antonio Escandón García, and Manuel Alejandro Plana Méndez from Villa Clara; Adrián Pacheco Rubio, Christian Ernesto Lugo Dorta, César Raúl Luís González, and Reinier García Montes de Oca from Matanzas; Francis José Rodríguez Ronda, Sergio Jorge Montero López, and Zaniel García Orihuela from Las Tunas; Luis Felipe Hernández Álvarez from Camagüey; Karen A. Zaldívar from Holguín; and Christopher Jesús Constantin Pérez from Santiago de Cuba.
Outstanding Achievements and Future Contests
The students surpassed their 2023 performance, where Cuba won one silver medal, five bronze medals, and the same number of honorable mentions. Cardona described the results as admirable and praised the students' efforts, noting that some competed despite being ill and still delivered outstanding performances. He also congratulated their provincial trainers.
Villa Clara's Camilo Triana Barata, Marco Antonio Escandón García, and Maite Morales Carreras, along with Las Tunas' Francis José Rodríguez Ronda, will represent Cuba at the International Olympiad in Egypt from September 1 to 9.
According to the professor, Cuba has participated in the Ibero-American Olympiad since 1998, missing only the 2010 edition. Out of 257 contestants, Cuba has earned a total of 141 medals: 21 gold, 43 silver, and 77 bronze.
This year, the students competed from the Tomás López Jiménez Laboratory at the University of Informatics Sciences (UCI).
Frequently Asked Questions about the Ibero-American Informatics Olympiad
In light of the recent achievements of Cuban students at the Ibero-American Informatics Olympiad, we answer some common questions regarding this prestigious competition.
What is the Ibero-American Informatics Olympiad?
The Ibero-American Informatics Olympiad is an annual competition that brings together pre-university students from Ibero-American countries to solve algorithmic and programming problems.
How did the Cuban team perform this year?
The Cuban team won a total of eight medals: six silver, two bronze, and two honorable mentions, securing fourth place overall.
When and where will the International Olympiad take place?
The International Olympiad will be held in Egypt from September 1 to 9.