Yotam wrapped himself in the flag - and his win at the Computer Science Olympiad was revoked

Yotam Bodnik, a 12th-grade student at De Shalit High School in Rehovot, won a gold medal at the Computer Science Olympiad in Uzbekistan, but his win was revoked after he raised the Israeli flag on the winners' podium, violating the rules. The Olympiad has boycotted official Israeli representation since 2024, and the students participated independently. Israelis won three gold medals and one bronze, and Yotam said the medal remains with him.

Yotam Bodnik, a 12th-grade student at De Shalit High School in Rehovot, won the gold medal at the Computer Science Olympiad held in Uzbekistan on Saturday. However, after he pulled out the Israeli flag on the winners' podium, contrary to competition rules, the organizers revoked his win. Unlike other Olympiads, the Computer Science Olympiad has boycotted official Israeli representation, as well as Russia and Belarus, since 2024, following October 7 and the 'Iron Swords' war. As a result, the Israeli students were excluded from the event and participated independently, not under the state's representation of the Ministry of Education. In the competition, which ended on Saturday evening, the Israeli students, who funded the trip through external financing, won three gold medals and one bronze. In a conversation with Kan News, Yotam said he still holds the medal: 'When they tried to take the medal from me, I didn't agree, so it's still with me. They only revoked my certificate and the ranking on the website.'