Pinnacle Stories

Ariadna Puertas, a student from IES Plaza de la Cruz, participated in various editions of the Spanish Informatics Olympiad (OIE) and the Spanish Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics (OIFem). In 2026, she won a bronze medal in the OIE and a silver medal in the OIFem, which earned her the opportunity to represent Spain at the 2026 European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI), where she secured a bronze medal. Today, she explains how she achieved these medals and what her preparation process was like.

How did you start competing in informatics?

I started many years ago when I was in 8th grade. I saw that the Regional Informatics Olympiads were happening, and I just decided to sign up—mostly to check out the problems and have a good time on a day off from class. Then, in 10th grade, two years later, I decided to sign up for OIFem, where they actually give you more serious classes. And well, I managed to reach the Female Informatics Olympiad and placed second in the regional round. That’s when I started taking it more seriously.

Did someone in particular inspire you to participate in these informatics events?

Not really. My mother motivated me a lot to go because she saw that I liked everything related to computing, but there is no one in my immediate environment who works in informatics.

When you started competing, did you expect to stand out at the national and international contests?

No. Honestly, when I entered for the first time, I didn’t even expect to do well in the regionals. I never expected to go to the National Olympiad, let alone the international one. I’ve enjoyed it, but I would never have imagined it at the beginning.

How did you win a bronze medal in the past edition of the Spanish Informatics Olympiad?

Well, first I practiced quite a bit, looking at problems I might encounter or those from previous editions. Then, during the competition, I tried to stay calm, look at the problems to see which ones I felt I could solve or which ones had simple subtasks, and throughout the contest, I kept solving problems.

Was it a similar preparation process for the OIFem?

Yes, I was practicing problems. For the OIFem, I think I did a few more because I always had slightly higher expectations there. But it was similar—doing tons of problems, and then trying to stay calm and seeing where I could scrape together some points.

Did you expect to be able to represent Spain at the 2026 European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics?

No. Honestly, I didn’t expect it during the school year because there were many people who were very good, and I didn’t expect have a high ranking. But in the end, I practiced a lot, and there I was.

What was your preparation for the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics? Did you expect to win a bronze medal?

Our teachers gave us a very long list of problems, and I worked on some of the topics I was weaker at, as well as problems from previous editions to get a feel for the style. But honestly, I didn’t expect to get a bronze medal because, deep down, the problems were quite complicated.

In the future, do you plan to participate in university olympiads for informatics or other sciences?

I’m not entirely sure. I wouldn’t want to leave informatics behind completely, but I do want to focus on other fronts and aspects of my life—more artistic pursuits, for instance. But I’ll probably still do something related to it.

How would you describe those experiences in the informatics olympiads in a few words?

Well, it’s basically solving problems and having sleepovers. The problems are very fun and interesting, but then there’s the sleepover part because you’re with people you get along with, which is also a lot of fun. That’s a very important part for me.

Is there anything that surprised you while participating in these olympiads?

Well, honestly, the problems felt easier than I expected. Looking back at what was there, I thought they would be much more complicated. Also, the girls were really nice, and I connected very well with them.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in succeeding in informatics olympiads?

First, learn to stay calm. I knew plenty of people in my class who had a very high level, but then nerves got the best of them during the competition. Second, don’t forget that you ultimately go to a competition because you like the subject and you enjoy solving problems. It’s important not to lose sight of that; otherwise, it makes no sense, and you won’t do well if you’re only thinking about winning.