Posted Thursday 28 July 2011

Australia's Informatics Olympiad team has won a clean sweep of a Silver and three Bronze Medals at the 23rd International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), held in Pattaya, Thailand.

The Silver medallist is Evgeny Martynov, of James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW. This is his third IOI medal, having won Bronze in both 2009 and 2010.

The Bronze Medals were won by Eliot Courtney, of Como Secondary College, WA, Robert Newey, of Cobar High School, NSW and Michael Chen of Scotch College, VIC.

Newey is probably the first Australian student to come from such a remote region and win a maths or science Olympiad medal, while Chen at just 13, is one of the youngest competitors and being in Year 8 has much to look forward to.

Martynov spectacularly snatched Silver in the very last minute of the second five-hour exam when he placed a submission yielding the remaining 54 points available to him in Problem 4 to just get himself over the line. Chen, just shortly before, did likewise for the Bronze, coming from behind to obtain 50 points in Problem 6 (the most difficult one) with just one submission.

Team Leader was Jarrah Lacko, former dual Silver IOI Medallist, while Deputy Team Leader was Christopher Chen, former dual Gold IOI Medallist, both from the University of NSW.

The team with their medals after the Closing Ceremony from left Jarrah, Michael, Evgeny, Robert, Eliot and Christopher, and below Michael, Evgeny, Robert and Eliot.

Individual score breakdowns of the Australian team were as follows:

		NAME	YR	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	TOT
		CHEN Michael Scotch College VIC	8	68	0	9	100	81	50	308
		COURTNEY Eliot Como Secondary College WA	12	100	49	9	46	96	26	326
		MARTYNOV Evgeny James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW	12	100	49	21	100	81	26	377
		NEWEY Robert Cobar High School NSW	12	68	49	21	100	52	26	316
		TOTALS		336	147	60	346	317	102	1327

Cutoffs for Gold, Silver and Bronze were 478, 370 and 267 points, respectively.

The Olympiad program, like the ones in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, are held under the auspices of UNESCO and significant support is provided by the Australian Government through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE).

Australia's participation in the IOI is administered by the Australian Mathematics Trust, based at the University of Canberra. Trust Executive Director Professor Peter Taylor noted that performance in these Olympiads was just the a small part of a major program enriching the mathematics and informatics knowedge of hundreds of thousands of Australian students of all standards, who commence the program by writing the Australian Mathematics Competition and Australian Informatics Competition.

He said that these students participate in school based activities first under the supervision of teachers, and students can develop their knowledge in these disciplines in stages to a very high level beyond classroom experience, enhancing their later University study and later careers.

"Many of Australia's leading scientists under the age of about 40 are products of these programs and are serving their country in science in areas such as climate change and defence", he said.

Earlier ...

Posted Thursday 27 July 2011

The Closing Ceremony will be held Thursday afternoon and results will be announced then. The students completed their second exam Tuesday and on Wednesday students and leaders had separate excursions around Bangkok. The students visited the Ancient City site which features sample architecture from all around Thailand. The leaders visited the Grand Palace and other sites.

Jarrah Lacko is the Team Leader and Christopher Chen the Deputy. Peter Taylor is there as a member of the International Committee and Ben Burton and Bernard Blackham as members of the International Scientific Committee. In the photo, with the river and Grand Palace in the backround, from left Bernard, Peter, Ben, Jarrah and Christopher.

Even earlier ...

Posted Saturday 23 July 2011

Thailand's Prime Minister Mr Abhisit Vejchacheeva has opened the 2011 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) in a colourful ceremony with cultural performances at Royal Cliff Resort, Pattaya, Thailand.

In his speech Mr Vejchacheeva said his counrtry had now made the study of IT compulsory in both elementary and secondary schools in Thailand and the theme would be for students to see what they can get the technology to do rather than allow domination by the technology.

The Australian team arrived in Bangkok a couple of days ago after a week training in Sydney at the University of New South Wales. Here they arrive at the Opening Ceremony, from left Eliot Courtney, Evgeny Martynov, Robert Newey and Michael Chen.