The story started in May. I participated in TFT, hoping to get to IOI. However, I got the first in the TFT, by the selection algorithm, I would go to IOI and NOI. (I expected to get the second, just after Alan Chan, which was an IOI-only place)

In July, I finally went to IOI. As this was my second IOI, I already had experience and got a bronze medal. This was my expected result. I went back satisfied with the result.

At that time, the other IOI team mates had already finished all the OI stuff, returned to holiday. I had to wait one week and go to the world’s most difficult OI competition — NOI. NOI was hell. The place was hell, the food was like in hell. I didn’t put my expectation high as NOI is more difficult than IOI. I expected only a bronze before the competition. However, I got exceptionally high score in the 1st competition (225 in 300), which pushed my expectation up to silver (some team mate even said I might get the first gold for Hong Kong!). In the 2nd competition, I got 150 marks — exactly I expected. The final result was a silver medal — just 4 marks below the gold. My place was the 41st, inside the 60 places for the training team.

Now I’ve raised my aim. I aim for the gold medal next year, either in IOI or NOI. I also hope that someone from Hong Kong (most probably me or Alan Chan, as we are still within the age limit by 30 June) can get the first gold medal in NOI.