Astana Spring 2024

Seven separate event victories marked a dominant turn on the tables at Astana Spring 2024, setting a breathless tempo over two days of intense competition. While speedcubing disciplines often conjure images of high-octane turning, the precision and patience required across multi-phase disciplines formed a stark baseline at Tamos Space School. The gathering brought together 26 competitors across 10 events and 16 rounds on April 20 to April 21, creating a comprehensive showcase of modern Rubik's Cube mastery in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Across the schedule, Damir Zhanataev mounted one of the most prolific campaigns of the 2024 season. His mastery spanned everything from the mechanical demands of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, which requires meticulous memorisation before the blindfold drops, to the physical endurance of big cubes. Zhanataev secured the blindfolded title with a single time of 1:25.29, besting Samgat Mynbai who registered a 5:51.39 single in the two-person field.

The 3x3 results delivered dramatic, razor-thin margins in the premier three-round event. Damir Issakov clinched the gold medal with a composed 8.09 winning average, backed by the round's best single of 7.27. He held off Zhanataev, who finished as runner-up with an 8.31 average, and Nurassyl Kurmangali, who rounded out the podium at 8.56 in a tightly contested final round featuring 25 total entrants.

In the two-handed smaller format, Kurmangali turned the tables to seize victory in the 2x2x2 Cube. His 3.18 final average edged Zhanataev's 3.52 and Issakov's 4.09. Kurmangali also displayed his versatility on the twelve-sided Megaminx puzzle, capturing first place with an average of 1:12.37 and a best single of 1:06.27 over seven competitors, ahead of Zhanataev at 1:14.89 and Ansar Kaidarov at 1:45.18.

The middle rounds of this WCA competition were further elevated by standout progress deeper in the field. Aidyn Boranbay took on six distinct disciplines, achieving a personal best of 8.29 in Pyraminx to finish 39.8 percent faster than before, while also making a first career Megaminx attempt of 4:33.80. Timur Zhangulov completed four events, posting a Pyraminx debut mark of 20.73 alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 19.72 that improved his benchmark by 27.2 percent. Akhmet Sailauuly improved across three brackets, dropping his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 33 percent down to 40.28.

Newcomers also made immediate impressions in their first tournament appearances. Artur Khamzin tackled seven events in his debut, taking fourth in Skewb and recording initial marks of 8.12 in Pyraminx and 35.15 in One-Handed. Amir Kanat entered four events, posting debut singles of 11.78 in Skewb and 43.42 on the 3x3. Abdumalik Mamakov logged initial competition marks of 7.23 in 2x2, 14.01 in Pyraminx, and 36.67 in 3x3, while Asanali Temirbulatov placed eighth in Pyraminx with a 10.59 debut. Arsen Nurlanuly reached tenth in 2x2 with a 4.98 initial attempt.

Zhanataev continued to sweep through the peripheral disciplines with unmatched consistency. He took the Pyraminx crown with a 5.33 average, topped the Skewb final in 9.28 seconds, and claimed the Clock title with an identical winning average of 9.28, finishing well ahead of Alexandr Bolshakov at 16.30 and Sanzhar Sharapadin at 18.63. His one-handed execution proved just as commanding, winning 3x3x3 One-Handed in 12.15 seconds over Kurmangali's 15.26.

The big cube categories brought further drama as Zhanataev completed his golden haul. In the 4x4x4 Cube, his 35.80 average narrowly defeated Beksultan Tleukanov's 36.44 and Issakov's 41.89. The battle repeated in the 5x5x5 Cube, where Zhanataev logged a 1:08.61 average to edge out Tleukanov's 1:08.95 by mere fractions of a second, with Issakov placing third at 1:24.00.

As the final timers stopped, Astana Spring 2024 concluded an eventful chapter of speed cubing in the region. With home nation competitors sweeping all 29 podium places awarded, the cubing competition highlighted both top-tier consistency and emerging talent ready to challenge the established ranks in future seasons.