Two young Filipino mathletes, Ahmad Mendoza and Ashley Cassandra Rasos, emerged victorious in the prestigious Hong Kong International Mathematical Olympiad (HKIMO) 2026 Final Round held at the Hong Kong Science Park.
Photos: Michael Malvar & Iskolar ng Bayan/Facebook
Both students achieved top honors in their respective divisions. Mendoza, a Grade 5 student from Punturin Elementary School in Valenzuela, bagged the gold medal in the Primary 5 division, while Rasos, a Grade 11 student from Sarrat National High School in Ilocos Norte, displayed exceptional mathematical prowess to secure the title of World Champion in the Senior Secondary division.
Photo: Cristine Dimailig/Facebook
The HKIMO is an annual international tournament featuring 11 distinct age-based categories spanning from Kindergarten to Senior Secondary levels. Founded by Wong Tin Chun, a former leader of the Hong Kong Mathematical Olympiad Team, the competition aims to foster cultural exchange and provide math enthusiasts worldwide with a platform for educational dialogue.
Photo: Michael Malvar/Facebook
Each year, HKIMO tests participants’ problem-solving capabilities across core branches of mathematics: logical thinking, number theory, geometry, combinatorics, arithmetic (for Kindergarten and Primary levels), and algebra (for Secondary levels).
Photo: Cristine Dimailig/Facebook
Acing the logical thinking and number theory sections, Mendoza earned two special distinctions: the Boole Award for a perfect score in logical thinking, and the Euler Award for a perfect score in number theory.
Photo: Michael Malvar/Facebook
Meanwhile, Rasos recorded a flawless performance across the entire board, sweeping all four major accolades: the Boole and Euler awards, alongside the Leibniz Award for algebra and the Euclid Award for geometry.
With their remarkable feats, Mendoza and Rasos earned exclusive tickets to the World International Mathematical Olympiad (WIMO), where top winners from major global competitions learn directly from former International Mathematical Olympiad medalists. They are also preparing to represent the Philippines at the WIMO Grand Finals from January 2 to 4, 2027, at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Campus in Shenzhen, China.
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