Albany Summer Solving 2024

Australian competitor Jonathan Charlesworth delivered a masterclass at the Albany Church of Christ, collecting four event victories including a decisive win in the main 3x3x3 Cube final. Charlesworth secured the premier title with a winning average of 8.16 seconds alongside a best single solve of 7.24 seconds, setting the benchmark across three intense rounds. His triumph capped an extraordinary day where host-nation solvers claimed every single one of the 18 available podium positions across the tournament schedule.

The single-day gathering on January 27, 2024, brought 43 competitors to Albany, Western Australia, Australia for Albany Summer Solving 2024. Across 12 rounds of head-to-head speedcubing, local participants took full control of the podiums in all six disciplines. The packed program saw solvers test their skills on everything from standard puzzles to specialized formats, establishing the gathering as a standout cubing competition for the southern region to start 2024.

In the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube division, Charlesworth led a competitive final where Lachlan Stephens earned second place with an average of 8.46 seconds. Zak Kenny followed closely in third position, posting an average of 9.79 seconds to seal the sweep. The classic 3x3 results demonstrated high-level consistency, as the top three finishers navigated three progressive rounds before determining the final medals in front of the assembled field.

Beyond the standard puzzle, Charlesworth expanded his tally with commanding performances across larger cubes and alternative twisty puzzles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, he earned first place with a 32.19 average and a single of 29.93 seconds, leading Kenny in second at 35.03 and Jaxon Foster in third at 37.37. Moving to the 5x5x5 Cube, Charlesworth took gold with a 1:01.74 average, while Kenny with 1:12.70 and Foster with 1:13.68 repeated their podium placements. He added a fourth victory in Skewb with a 2.98 average, finishing ahead of Amy Smith with 4.20 and Jay Calter with 5.56.

The remaining events at Albany Summer Solving 2024 featured sharp battles among Australia's top performers. Jay Calter took the top step in the 2x2x2 Cube with an average of 2.60 seconds, edging Stephens who finished second at 3.18, and Charlesworth in third at 3.21. In Clock, Amy Smith captured victory with a 5.47 average and a 5.13 single, leading Lucius Leong who recorded 6.42 for second and Calter who posted 7.25 for third, completing the country's unbroken run across every podium.

Away from the top steps, several competitors achieved massive individual milestones throughout the day. Nathan Maloney entered three events and made his first ever attempt at Clock with a time of 1:10.60, his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with 57.50, and carved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best down to 52.00 seconds, which was 36.4 percent faster than his prior mark. Evan Dumergue showed great progression in Clock, trimming his personal best to 17.30 seconds, an improvement of 45.9 percent. Simon Lasserre took on four events, achieving an 18.88 personal best in Clock that was 38.7 percent faster than before, while Flynn Creelman recorded a 6.27 Skewb personal best, finishing 35.1 percent faster.

New event debuts added further depth to the weekend's achievements across the competition floor. Marlon Spotkaeff took on five events and logged a first ever attempt at the 5x5x5 Cube in 2:37.61, while Bryn Hannagan-Wood posted a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:04.81 alongside a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 1:47.67. Aaron Edwards completed a busy six-event schedule with a Skewb personal best of 4.53, improving by 30.6 percent, and Cooper Harvey tackled their first WCA competition by recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube in 30.14 seconds and taking on four total events.

With 43 participants filling the venue, Albany Summer Solving 2024 highlighted the vibrancy of speed cubing in the region. The seamless sweep of 18 podium spots by Australian solvers across six diverse categories delivered a memorable start to the competition calendar in Western Australia, offering seasoned contenders and new competitors alike a solid platform for the year ahead.