Belarusian wins Google Code Jam contest again

If your crossword puzzle ever asks for the name of the ‘strongest programmer’ in the world, try Korotkevich. Gennady, aged 21, from Gomel, has a promising future, and has already claimed various prestigious victories at international competitions. His last was in New York, for Google Code Jam 2016.


Just 26 participants took part in the four-hour final, chosen from 27,000 initial entrants. The finalists were given a number of algorithmic tasks, for solving within a set time, using any programming language or development framework. Gennady was the only one who managed to solve all tasks, and also broke a record, being the first to win three times in a row.

The $15,000 prize is accompanied by the right to participate in Code Jam’s finals in 2017, without pre-selection. Gennady Korotkevich graduated from the Gomel gymnasium, and now studies at the ITMO University in St. Petersburg. He is sought by major IT companies but prefers to continue studying. Recently, in one interview, he admitted, “After graduating, I’ll probably work for a large company, to see if it suits me. If I realise that it’s not right for me, I’ll launch my own business. This is all distant. If I receive an interesting job offer in Belarus, I’ll be ready to stay; many IT giants have offices in Belarus. I’ll have to wait and see what terms are offered.