24 Hours Warm Up in Astana 2024

Twenty-seven competitors stepped up to the tables at the Kazakh Research Institute of Processing and Food Industry for an action-packed weekend of speedcubing. Held across October 19 and 20, 2024, the 24 Hours Warm Up in Astana 2024 tested participants through 25 rounds spanning 14 different World Cube Association disciplines. The intense schedule provided an ideal stage in Astana, Kazakhstan, where developing talent and experienced solvers alike pushed their personal limits in front of the timers.

Across the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube rounds, Anatolii Turenko delivered a masterclass in consistency and poise. Turenko secured victory in the premier event with a winning average of 7.97 seconds, capped by a best single of 6.39. Nurassyl Kurmangali earned second place on the podium with an 8.32 average, narrowly edging Alisher Kurmash, who posted an 8.33 average for third. The tight 3x3 results demonstrated how fine the margins can be at the top of a modern cubing competition.

Turenko emerged as the most prolific winner of the weekend, capturing titles across four other distinct formats. In the 4x4x4 Cube, he took first place with a 31.62 average, besting Asset Agabekov at 32.45 and Alisher Kurmash at 35.38. Turenko followed that up in the 5x5x5 Cube, where his 1:02.73 average narrowly held off Damir Zhanataev at 1:03.01 and Kurmash at 1:04.42. His versatility showed further as he won Clock with a rapid 3.77 average and claimed first place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 33.00 average.

Host nation competitors also claimed their share of titles, led by Alisher Kurmash and Asset Agabekov. Kurmash took top honors in the 2x2x2 Cube with a winning average of 2.94 seconds, outlasting Kurmangali's 2.96 and Agabekov's 3.44. Kurmash also won 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 13.43 and added a Megaminx triumph averaging 47.27 ahead of Agabekov's 52.49. Agabekov put together his own standout performances, capturing the 6x6x6 Cube title with a 1:56.25 average and winning 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a best single solve of 1:02.51.

The remaining puzzle categories showcased remarkable depth across the roster during the 24 Hours Warm Up in Astana 2024. Lev Bruskov earned a pair of victories, capturing the Pyraminx title with a 3.01 average and taking Square-1 with an average of 9.25. Alimzhan Kenesbek secured the Skewb win by averaging 5.74 seconds, while Vincenzo Maria Gammino claimed victory in the 7x7x7 Cube with an average time of 3:00.67. Kazakhstan led the overall medal table with 25 podium placements, followed by Russia with 15 and Italy with 2.

Beyond the podium battles, significant development happened throughout the field as solvers showed immense progress. Nuradil Tolembek delivered one of the weekend's biggest breakthroughs, lowering his 3x3x3 personal best to 24.61 seconds, an improvement of 63.6 percent from his previous mark. Arsenii Borovkov cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 59.7 percent down to 12.54 seconds, trimmed his 2x2x2 single to 2.21, and lowered his blindfolded single to 3:33.52. Igor Kaigalov entered 10 events, cutting his 6x6x6 personal best by 35.3 percent to 4:52.12 and logging his first ever official Clock attempt at 21.56.

The competitive atmosphere also welcomed debutants and dedicated multi-event contenders making major strides in their craft. Alizhan Muratkhan tackled eight events in his first WCA competition, recording initial marks of 18.94 on the 3x3x3, 1:49.93 on the 4x4x4, and 18.42 on Skewb. Fellow debutant Ansagan Berikzhan completed five events, putting up first attempts of 3.45 on the 2x2x2 and 10.07 on Pyraminx. Ivan Streshinskiy logged official marks of 2.77 on 2x2x2 and 11.15 on 3x3x3 in his debut, while Miras Toktarkhan opened his career across three disciplines, reaching eighth in Pyraminx. Mansur Serikov rounded out his eight-event program with personal bests in both Pyraminx at 6.67 and 2x2x2 at 2.89.

The rapid gains seen across every discipline reflect an energetic local scene that continues to evolve. As this chapter of speed cubing in the region concludes, the 27 competitors leave the tables with fresh personal milestones and valuable experience under competition pressure. The achievements recorded at the 24 Hours Warm Up in Astana 2024 set a promising tone for the next season of competitive solving across Central Asia and beyond.