Aragua Open 2023

The brightly lit corridors of the Centro Comercial Unicentro Maracay filled with the distinct plastic click and clatter of speedcubing hardware on September 2, 2023. Competitors adjusted their mats, tested the spring tensions of their puzzles, and readied their stopwatches for an intense day of action. Speed cubing in the city brought together 38 competitors across four varied events, yielding seven full rounds of tournament drama. Spectators and participants gathered around the competition tables as the official timers reset and the day got underway in Maracay, Aragua, Venezuela.

The primary narrative of the gathering centered on high-level standard setting and personal milestone times across the flagship puzzles. In the classic Rubik's Cube division, Bernardo Torres set an exceptional benchmark, logging a 7.54 single and an 8.68 average during his rounds. Rival Louis Rodriguez Guerrero kept the pressure elevated by delivering a 7.98 single along with a 9.37 average. Rafael Antonio Sanchez maintained the elite pace with a 9.02 single and a 10.56 average, contributing to an intense set of 3x3 results in the tournament ledger.

That record-setting momentum continued throughout the 3x3x3 Cube rounds as multiple solvers carved substantial gains out of their official totals. Ricardo Alexander Bustamante Mercado posted a 10.09 single and a 10.94 average, while Cristofer Azuaje recorded a standout 8.26 single alongside a 12.32 average. Santiago David Paz Gutierrez logged a 10.44 single and a 12.43 average, and Sebastián Andrés González Coronel registered a 12.18 single and a 13.09 average. The standard continued to hold strong with Sergio Tulio Gonzalez Aguilar hitting a 13.64 single, Leonardo Neptalí Alicastro Palma putting up an 11.92 single, and Axel Gómez carding a 13.80 single.

When the dust settled on the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, Bernardo Torres climbed to the top of the podium with a winning average of 8.12, having also produced the round best single of 7.13. Louis Rodriguez Guerrero secured second place with an average of 8.51, and Rafael Antonio Sanchez locked down the third spot on the podium at 10.34. The three-round battle tested the full 38-competitor roster, rewarding absolute consistency under pressure across all five solves in the decisive final.

The large-cube and twisty categories brought further success for the top tier of Venezuelan solvers. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Bernardo Torres captured another victory with a 33.43 winning average and the round best single of 27.61, outpacing Louis Rodriguez Guerrero who placed second at 34.55 and Rafael Antonio Sanchez who finished third at 43.57. Megaminx action saw Rafael Antonio Sanchez earn the top prize with a 49.53 average and a 43.75 single, finishing ahead of Torres at 50.54 and Rodriguez Guerrero at 1:15.82 across the 13-person field.

Beyond the championship podiums, this cubing competition featured extraordinary personal leaps from solvers across the leaderboard. Matías Jesús Pérez Salcedo delivered a monumental jump in Pyraminx, cutting his personal best to 7.68, which was 51.4 percent faster than his previous mark. Alejandro Navas logged his first ever official attempt at Pyraminx with an 8.44 while slicing his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 47.3 percent down to 19.73. Jesus Andres Rincon Añez trimmed his 3x3x3 Cube record by 37.6 percent to 24.35, and Abraham Quintero Vargas tackled four events, improving his Pyraminx best by 39.3 percent to 11.96.

The depth of progress across the venue revealed several newcomers and multi-event competitors embracing new challenges with great success. Javier Alberto Carrero Pabon took on his first WCA competition, recording first attempts in the 3x3x3 Cube at 20.85, the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:52.18, and the Megaminx at 3:06.98, while finishing seventh in Pyraminx. David Simmons notched his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 8.89, while Andrés Daniel Azuaje Camacho also debuted in Pyraminx with a 9.33. Santiago David Paz Gutierrez opened his Pyraminx ledger with a 5.48 on his way to fifth place.

Pyraminx concluded with a rapid final that saw Miguel Vidal seize first place with a 3.29 winning average and a 2.23 single. Rafael Antonio Sanchez took second place at 4.77, and Miguel González completed the podium in third with a 7.10 average out of 26 competitors. Across all four contested events, all twelve available podium positions belonged to solvers from Venezuela, underscoring the strong national talent pool assembled at the venue.

The Aragua Open 2023 wrapped up after seven total rounds of dedicated solving, leaving the regional community with lower marks and heightened expectations for future meetings. With Bernardo Torres leading the 3x3 and 4x4 events and Rafael Antonio Sanchez taking Megaminx honors, the single-day showcase in Maracay demonstrated the high technical caliber of the current field. Competitors departed Centro Comercial Unicentro Maracay carrying fresh personal milestones, concluding a productive and historic day for Venezuelan speedcubing.