American School of Barcelona Student Wins Silver at AI Olympiad
American School of Barcelona · 2 min read
ESPLUGUES DE LLOBREGAT, 27 October 2026. Henri, a Grade 11 student at the American School of Barcelona, won a silver medal at the 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) in Astana, Kazakhstan, in August. He placed 64th in the world and was the highest ranked member of Team Spain.
The IOAI took place in Astana from 2 to 8 August. Henri competed in two demanding six-hour rounds against 462 of the world's top students from more than 100 countries. His result earned him the title of Spain Champion.
It was Spain's first time competing at the IOAI. The national team returned home with two silver medals, one bronze medal and three honourable mentions, and finished 26th overall.
Henri's route to the national team started in October 2025, when he entered Spain's selection process. It included quizzes and projects in machine learning, mathematics and programming, and he advanced through all four stages to become one of just eight secondary students chosen for the team.
“It greatly developed my problem solving skills, and it also made me aware of the competitive side of academics.”
Henri, Grade 11 student, American School of Barcelona
He first discovered programming in 2019 through Leagues of Code, an online platform developed by Harbour.Space. Looking back at his preparation, he pointed to his earlier experience in mathematics competitions.
Looking ahead, Henri is interested in research within the field of artificial intelligence, where mathematics and computer science come together to design smarter and more efficient models. He singled out bioinformatics as an area he finds particularly exciting, because it applies these concepts to potentially lifesaving goals.
About American School of Barcelona
American School of Barcelona is a non-profit international school located just outside Barcelona, in Esplugues de Llobregat. It has around 960 students from 60 countries and offers an American curriculum from preschool through High School.
Students can follow several graduation pathways: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) or the US High School Diploma. The school was founded in 1962 and opened in the Pedralbes neighbourhood with 100 students from Kindergarten through Grade 5. Its stated mission is to empower students from pre-school through Grade 12 to become global citizens with critical thinking skills and the self-confidence to maximise their potential. In September it reported its highest IB Diploma average yet for the Class of 2026.
What this means for families
Alongside its American curriculum and the IB pathways, the school offers students opportunities in sport, performing and fine arts, public speaking and leadership. Henri's result comes from a path that began with programming in 2019 and went through a four-stage national selection before the international final in Astana, as the school describes it.
Families can also read our guide to the best international schools in Barcelona.
