Atlanta Algs at AIS 2025

Inside the bustling activity rooms at the Atlanta International School, tables were lined with competition mats and official timers as solvers warmed up their fingers. The atmosphere in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on March 15, 2025, carried the focused rhythm of turning plastic, setting the stage for a packed one-day meeting. Seventy-four competitors gathered across five events and eight total rounds, ready to test their preparation in an energetic WCA competition environment.

Solving the classic Rubik's Cube with a single hand demands exceptional dexterity, table control, and fluid move execution. At Atlanta Algs at AIS 2025, the 3x3x3 One-Handed event took centre stage, rewarding solvers who balanced turn efficiency with fingertrick discipline. Raghav Reddy rose to the top among a field of 54 entrants, putting together a commanding winning average of 12.07 seconds and securing the round's top single time of 10.46 seconds. Tien Tran finished in second place with an average of 14.72, while Elijah Slater rounded out the podium in third with a 14.91 mark.

The traditional two-handed 3x3x3 Cube contest drew a large group of 72 contenders through two competitive rounds. Caleb Chen captured first place on the podium with a winning average of 6.76 seconds, bolstered by the best single of the entire event at 5.57. Elijah Slater collected his second podium of the weekend by taking second place with an average of 7.10, while Nicolás Sánchez earned third place with a mark of 7.58. The 3x3 results across the board demonstrated remarkable consistency from the leading pack.

In the compact 2x2x2 Cube event, split-second recognition determined the standings across a single quick-fire round of 63 competitors. Nicolás Sánchez claimed the title with a tournament-leading 1.29-second average alongside a best single of 1.15 seconds. Caleb Chen followed closely behind to claim the runner-up position with an average of 1.38, while Elijah Slater took third place with a 2.00 average, putting three familiar faces onto the podium.

Behind the top of the podiums, numerous competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. David Rousey contested five events and dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 4.76 seconds, which was 63.1 percent faster than his prior mark of 12.89, while also delivering a Pyraminx personal best of 6.16 seconds. Sanjay Kumar Ramkumar made a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a time of 5.26, chopped his Megaminx personal best by 45.1 percent down to 1:12.98, and trimmed his 2x2x2 best to 3.10. Patrick Hatfield completed four events, achieving a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 11.56 seconds that was 37.4 percent faster than before, alongside his first ever attempts at Pyraminx and 3x3x3 One-Handed.

Other solvers similarly rewrote their personal records and tackled new challenges throughout the day. Isaac Kim lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best to 8.69 seconds, an improvement of 68.8 percent, while Aaron Cao dropped his 2x2x2 mark by 55.4 percent to 7.23 and improved his 3x3x3 standard to 32.12. Braeden Tabor sliced 53 percent off his Megaminx personal best down to 1:26.02 and made strides in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 44.05 result. Yaseen Farooqui recorded a first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 2:55.83 and set a 2x2x2 best of 3.60, while William Schlegel posted first attempts in both 3x3x3 One-Handed at 20.06 and Megaminx at 2:38.25.

The side events provided varied geometry and different mechanical tests for the field. In the twelve-sided Megaminx, Jared Stinson delivered an emphatic victory across two rounds of play, averaging 36.65 seconds and posting the event's top single of 35.06. Tien Tran finished second with an average of 47.76 seconds, while Ireland's Declan Mangan-Lamb secured third with an average of 52.36 seconds, providing an international highlight to the podium table.

The Pyraminx bracket saw 53 entrants battle through two rounds of triangular solving. Keon Wilson navigated the bracket cleanly to win the final with a 2.11-second average and a field-best single of 1.38 seconds. Alex Bohac earned second place with a 2.48 average, while MJ Thomas placed third with an average of 3.97 seconds, concluding another tightly contested division.

With fifteen podium positions awarded across five distinct disciplines, the speedcubing community in the region celebrated a day full of fast times and personal milestones. The action at Atlanta Algs at AIS 2025 highlighted the deep variety of speed cubing, from specialized one-handed solves to high-speed twisting puzzles, leaving participants with fresh marks to beat in the next season.