Auckland Mid-Year Madness 2023

A total of 122 competitors gathered at Westlake Girls High School for Auckland Mid-Year Madness 2023, setting the stage for two full days of high-level speedcubing across seven distinct events. Running from July 1 to July 2, 2023, the schedule packed 22 rounds of action into the weekend. Solvers from around the region and overseas arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, ready to put months of practice to the test across various disciplines ranging from the classic Rubik's Cube to specialized twelvesided puzzles.

The opening day established the competitive tone as preliminary stages trimmed large fields down to the sharpest contenders. In Megaminx, Alexander Vujcich wasted no time setting a commanding benchmark across three rounds, eventually capturing first place with a winning average of 30.40 and a best single solve of 28.20. Brandon Harris earned the silver spot on 38.02, while Richard Yiheng Tao rounded out the top three with an average of 49.23, demonstrating the technical stamina required over longer solve formats.

Day one also featured intense qualification runs in one-handed solving, testing asymmetric dexterity and control. Richard Yiheng Tao topped the 3x3x3 One-Handed final with a 13.34 average and a single of 12.82, standing clear of runner-up Gen Kimura on 14.99 and third-place Caleb Hall on 15.38. Simultaneously, the Pyraminx brackets moved at a blistering pace through three rounds, culminating in Elyas Eyou seizing victory with a winning average of 2.52 and a sharp 1.93 single, edging Tao at 2.88 and Kimura at 3.69.

As Sunday arrived, the intensity heightened across the multi-layered cubes. Alexander Vujcich picked up his second title of the weekend in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 34.09 alongside a best single of 28.29. Tao followed closely behind to secure second place with a 34.58 average, while Eyou took third at 34.61. Tao quickly rebounded in the 5x5x5 Cube final, securing the top spot with a 1:03.73 average and a single of 1:00.96, holding off Vujcich at 1:04.91 and Eyou at 1:14.30.

Beyond the title fights at Auckland Mid-Year Madness 2023, the event brackets were filled with notable individual milestones across all experience levels. Gabriel Martinez took on three disciplines and unlocked massive personal bests, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 74.8 percent to 2.54 and dropping his 3x3x3 Cube time by 21.3 percent to 36.68, while also making a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 13.43 single. Jonty De Pledge entered seven events, slashing his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 57.2 percent to 17.50 and recording first ever attempts in Pyraminx with 10.74 and Megaminx with 2:37.71.

The breakthroughs continued throughout the field as solvers broadened their event repertoires. Vo Nhu Vinh Khang produced a 2.26 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube, a 66.1 percent improvement, lowered his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 56.5 percent to 29.39, and registered a first ever Pyraminx solve of 12.07. Rafe Silvester Sykes improved his 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 40.2 percent to 53.57, chopped 18.4 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube mark to 1:56.43, and completed a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 4:27.91. Luke Hibbert tackled seven events, logging an 11th-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 6.84 that was 30.3 percent faster, improving his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 13.4 percent to 1:16.28, and attempting 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time at 30.17.

Other dedicated competitors made major strides across the weekend schedule. Dennis Hu contested six events to earn a 9th-place finish in Megaminx, recording personal bests of 4.54 in Pyraminx and 1:07.86 in Megaminx alongside a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 1:31.38. Nadim Ridwan registered a first ever attempt at Pyraminx of 7.82 while improving his 2x2x2 Cube best by 37.9 percent to 9.68. Cameron Short entered two categories, posting a 4.91 in his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube and trimming his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 36.1 percent to 16.01.

Short-format speed cubing reached a dramatic conclusion late Sunday afternoon in the 2x2x2 Cube final. Yuki Gao clinched the gold medal with a winning average of 1.85 and a single of 1.45, leading Vujcich at 2.19 and Tao at 2.30. The podium reflected strong international representation, with New Zealand competitors taking 19 total podium spots alongside one each for China and the Philippines. The rapid-fire rounds kept the venue energized as solvers pushed their execution to the fractions of a second.

The weekend concluded with the flagship 3x3 results, drawing a field of 120 competitors across four exhaustive rounds of solving. Richard Yiheng Tao sealed an outstanding campaign by claiming the main title at Auckland Mid-Year Madness 2023, averaging 7.78 in the final with a best single of 6.52. Alexander Vujcich finished in second place with a 7.90 average, followed by Matteo Ortiz in third at 8.09. The performance capped a memorable cubing competition, leaving the local scene with fresh standards as the 2023 WCA competition calendar continues.