Israeli Student Stripped of Gold Medal After Displaying Flag at International Computer Science Olympiad

Yotam Budnik, a 12th-grade student from De Shalit High School in Rehovot, won a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics held in Uzbekistan on Saturday. However, after he displayed the Israeli flag on the winners' podium, the organizers revoked his medal, citing a violation of competition rules. Unlike other Olympiads, the Informatics Olympiad has officially excluded Israel from representation since 2024, alongside Russia and Belarus, following the events of October 7 and the "Iron Swords" conflict. Consequently, Israeli students participated independently without official endorsement from the Ministry of Education. Despite this, Israeli participants secured three gold medals and one bronze, funding their trip through external sources. In an interview with Kan News, Yotam stated he still retains the physical medal, explaining, "When they tried to take the medal from me, I refused, so it remains with me. They only revoked my certificate and ranking on the website."