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Israeli teen’s medal revoked — for wearing national flag
Budnik won gold at international computer science contest, but was disqualified by organisers
A brilliant 17-year-old student from Rehovot, Yotam Budnik, has had his gold medal win disqualified at the 2026 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) in Uzbekistan, because he draped the Israeli flag around himself as his win was announced.
Since 2024, Israel has not been allowed to compete as a national team in the computer science competition. Instead, Israeli contestants are allowed only to compete as neutral and Israel does not appear on the official results scoreboard.
As the winners were lining up on the victory podium, Budnik, the gold medal winner, draped an Israeli flag around his shoulders, aware that the win was being transmitted live on TV. Immediately afterwards the IOI leadership went into emergency session, and voted to disqualify him, wipe his score from the official global leaderboard, and revoke his winner’s certificate.
But though the organisers apparently tried to take back the gold medal itself, Budnik refused to hand it over. He told Israeli media that though his name could be removed from the rankings, his achievement could not be wiped out.
Just three weeks earlier, Budnik won a gold medal — representing Israel — at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad in Shanghai, where national flags were permitted.
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