Meet the 7-year-old Iranian prodigy who won gold at 2026 International Junior Informatics Olympiad

By Mina Mosallanejad

At just seven years old, Salar Reza Mohammadi, a student from Tabriz in northwestern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, is already making a remarkable mark in the world of informatics.

Mohammadi has emerged as one of Iran’s most promising young talents after clinching a gold medal at the 2026 International Junior Informatics Olympiad (IJIO), adding another prestigious achievement to an extraordinary record built at an age when most children are only beginning to discover the world of computers.

Competing in the first-grade category alongside talented young students from around the world, Mohammadi delivered an impressive performance to claim the gold medal, placing him among the competition’s top performers and earning international recognition for Iran.

The 2026 IJIO brought together 1,893 students from 236 schools across 26 countries and territories, including Iran, Azerbaijan, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, Indonesia and Australia.

Designed to nurture young minds through technology, the IJIO challenges participants in computational thinking, problem-solving and programming.

For its youngest competitors, the competition offers an early introduction to coding through accessible block-based programming, helping them develop logical thinking and creative approaches to solving complex problems.

The 2026 edition was held through a combination of physical participation and online competition formats, bringing together young technology enthusiasts from across the globe.

Mohammadi’s accomplishments, however, extend well beyond the world of informatics.

His exceptional academic abilities have enabled him to progress well ahead of his peers, making an accelerated transition from the first grade to the fourth grade of elementary school.

His extraordinary talents extend into other fields as well. Mohammadi has secured top positions in team chess competitions and demonstrated remarkable skill in solving the Rubik’s Cube.

He is also proficient in English and has completed specialized courses in robot building, combining academic achievement with practical and technological skills.

His interests are not limited to science and technology. Mohammadi has participated in international painting exhibitions, revealing a creative side that complements his analytical abilities and highlighting the breadth of his talents at an exceptionally young age.

This growing record of achievements has earned Mohammadi recognition as one of Iran’s youngest prodigies, whose achievements at a young age speak volumes about his talent.  

He has been introduced as the youngest member of the National Elites Foundation in East Azerbaijan province, a distinction that underscores the extraordinary range of his abilities.

Mohammadi has also attracted attention for his involvement in digital transformation, further expanding a portfolio of achievements that spans education, technology, art and intellectual competition.

In another notable achievement, Mohammadi was appointed as a member of the Digital Transformation Committee of a specialized technical, engineering and commercial holding affiliated with Iran’s Construction Engineering Organization.

His membership decree was presented at a ceremony attended by Mohammad Yousef, deputy executive director of the Construction Engineering Organization, at the organization’s East Azerbaijan branch.

Mohammadi has also demonstrated his strength in languages, winning a silver medal in an English-language competition affiliated with Oxford University.

Today, the young prodigy is pursuing interests across a remarkable range of disciplines, including computer science, robotics, chess, languages and the arts.

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His diverse accomplishments at just seven years old have made the Tabriz student a remarkable example of the academic, technological and creative potential of Iran’s younger generation.

According to those who know him and have interacted with him, the young boy’s achievements reflect not only exceptional ability, but also an unusually wide-ranging curiosity and determination to explore fields far beyond the classroom.

Iranian students across age groups and scientific disciplines have delivered a steady stream of performances at major international academic and robotics competitions in recent years, including during the two imposed wars, earning medals and top rankings in fields ranging from informatics and artificial intelligence to robotics, physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology.

Among the latest achievements, Iranian students made a strong showing at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026), held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from August 9 to 16.

The four-member team secured two silver medals, one bronze medal and one honorable mention, competing against some of the world’s brightest young computer science talents from more than 97 countries.

Iranian students also excelled at the third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI 2026), held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from August 2 to 8.

As one of the newest additions to the international science Olympiad circuit, the competition brought together more than 500 talented students from around the world. Iran’s team delivered an impressive performance, winning one gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

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