Albania at the TIMO 2026 International Final in Baku
From 2 to 6 July 2026, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, hosted the final stage of the Turkic International Mathematical Olympiad – TIMO 2026.
The event represented a unique, challenging and exciting experience for the StarBalkans team, the Albanian students and their families.
The international final brought together 393 young mathematicians from 13 different countries, who had earned the right to participate through their achievements in the national stages. Albania competed alongside students from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Russia, India, the Philippines, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
TIMO 2026 in Baku
Taking part in a final of this scale gave the students the opportunity to measure their knowledge and abilities against some of the most talented young mathematicians from different countries.
Beyond mathematical knowledge, the competition required a high level of concentration, logical reasoning, creative thinking, time management and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
Albania’s Representatives
Albania was represented at TIMO 2026 by two talented students: Giada Balaj, a sixth-grade student, and Diona Llangozi, a tenth-grade student.
Giada Balaj qualified for the international final after achieving an outstanding result in the national stage, where she was awarded a Gold Medal. This achievement demonstrated her preparation, mathematical abilities and the dedication with which she approached the first stage of the olympiad.
Diona Llangozi received an Honorable Mention at the national stage, also earning the right to represent Albania at the international final. Her qualification was the result of hard work, commitment and her ability to tackle a demanding test.
The journey to the final in Baku was an important step for both students. They were not only representing themselves and their individual achievements, but also their schools, families and country at an event with broad international participation.
A Strong Competition and a Challenging Experience
The TIMO final examination was one of the most important moments of the programme. Our students faced questions that required more than simply applying formulas learned at school. They had to analyse, reason and find solutions within a limited amount of time.
For Giada and Diona, participating at this stage was an opportunity to challenge themselves at a new level. Competing against qualified students from 13 different countries required not only knowledge, but also courage, self-confidence and the ability to maintain concentration throughout the examination.
Qualifying for the international final was already a significant achievement. However, the Albanian representatives managed to conclude their experience with valuable international results as well, making their participation in Baku an important milestone in their academic journeys.