Peru Dominates Binational Math Competition Against Ecuador

Peru has emerged victorious in the Binational Math Competition between Peru and Ecuador, securing an impressive 13 gold medals while Ecuador managed only two. The competition, held on June 27 in Samborondón, Ecuador, involved 70 students from Peru and a much larger delegation of 330 students from Ecuador. This stark difference in participation numbers underscores a disparity in their respective educational systems and competitive strategies.

While Ecuador showed improvement from its previous participation with only 20 students and one gold medal in 2025, its significantly larger contingent this year yielded only two gold medals, alongside 10 silver and 26 bronze. In contrast, Peru's delegation, less than half the size of Ecuador's, amassed 13 gold, 16 silver, and 7 bronze medals. Notably, Peruvian students achieved six perfect scores across various levels of the competition, which ranged from 5th grade to 3rd year of high school.

Among Peru's top performers was Ricardo De Blas, a 17-year-old student from Torremar Bilingual Educational Unit in Guayaquil. De Blas, who has been competing in mathematics since age 10, secured one of the two gold medals in the highest level of the competition (2nd and 3rd year of high school). He attributed his success to a routine of staying calm and strategically managing his time per problem. De Blas has a decorated history, including multiple gold medals in national and international competitions, and is set to represent Ecuador at the IMO 2026 in China.

Joaquín Zurita, an 11-year-old student from Ambato, was the other gold medalist for Ecuador at the highest level. His interest in mathematics began at a young age, inspired by practical applications at home. Encouraged by his father, Zurita participated in the Binational competition for the first time. He is currently training for the IMO, aiming to win a medal for Ecuador. The event, co-organized by the Ecuadorian Collegiate Mathematics Olympiad (OMEC) and Peru's Binaria Matemática, marked the first time the competition was held in Ecuador.

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That order allowed me to finish most of the test quickly and concentrate on the problems that were complicated for me.