Newsroom
Cyprus earned another major distinction in computer science after winning a gold medal for the second year in a row at the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics 2026, held in Italy from May 12 to 18.
According to the Cyprus Computer Society, secondary school student Mariza Paspalli captured the gold medal and finished third overall among 248 participants from across Europe and other parts of the world. Contestants were selected as the leading young informatics students representing their countries.
Paspalli has built an impressive record in international competitions over the last three years, collecting 11 additional medals in various informatics Olympiads.
The Cypriot delegation also included students Anastasia Evangelou, Rafaella Nicolaou, and Chrystallena Karittevli. The team was accompanied by informatics teachers Father Antonis Georgiou, who acted as team leader, and Afroditi Hadjimarkou, who served as deputy team leader.
The Cyprus Computer Society said the result reflects ongoing efforts to encourage more girls to pursue informatics and STEM-related subjects. The organization also said Cyprus continues to maintain a strong presence at international student technology competitions.
Following the organization of the junior Balkan Olympiad in Informatics in 2025, Cyprus is preparing to participate in several major competitions later this year, including the International Olympiad in Informatics, the Balkan Olympiad in Informatics, the European Junior Olympiad in Informatics, and the Junior Balkan Olympiad in Informatics.
The Cyprus Informatics Olympiad is organized each year by the Cyprus Computer Society in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth.
