Unexpected controversy at an Olympiad in Uzbekistan: gold medalist removed from rankings for raising the Israeli flag

The case involving Israeli student Yotam Budnik, who achieved a high result at the 2026 International Olympiad in Informatics held in Uzbekistan, has sparked widespread discussion. He won a gold medal in the competition, but his result was removed from the official rankings after the awards ceremony.

When 12th-grade student Budnik stepped onto the podium, he draped an Israeli flag he had brought with him over his shoulders. The organizers then asked him to return the gold medal.

After that, his result in the competition was removed from the official rankings, and his score was deleted.

Under a decision by the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), beginning in 2025, four Israeli students may participate under the IOI flag rather than as a national delegation.

Budnik also took part in the competition in Tashkent under this arrangement.

Budnik is currently not listed as a gold medalist in the official IOI rankings. The incident has prompted various reactions on social media.

The fact that the gold medal and his place in the official rankings were revoked as a result of a single action on the podium has made the incident even more contentious.