Belfast Autumn 2025

Inside the bustling sports hall at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Jensen Belen-Brown delivered the sharpest performance of the weekend, securing first place in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 8.80 seconds. The Canadian competitor held off a formidable field in Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom, where eighty-four competitors gathered across two days of intense speedcubing on November 15 and 16. Belen-Brown laid down a best single of 8.01 seconds in the final round to anchor the top of the podium, capturing the premier title of the weekend in front of a dedicated crowd of puzzle enthusiasts.

The venue buzzed with continuous motion across fifteen rounds of play as Belfast Autumn 2025 hosted ten distinct events. Belen-Brown was not finished after claiming the 3x3 results, doubling his gold tally by taking the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.01 average and an electric 1.63 single. In that final, Ireland's Daniel Hamilton placed second with a 2.12 average, while the United Kingdom's Hugo Feng Yang claimed third in 2.39. The tight margins at the tables set a thrilling tone that reverberated throughout the Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre hall.

Macau's Max Kwok U Sam put together an exceptionally dominant multi-discipline showing across the weekend schedule. Kwok U Sam claimed three separate tournament victories, taking first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 34.56 average, edging out Belen-Brown who took second at 34.67 and Ireland's Ben Timmons in third at 35.11. Kwok U Sam also finished second in the main 3x3x3 Cube behind Belen-Brown with an 8.97 average, while Portugal's Pedro Azevedo took third place at 9.05.

Kwok U Sam continued his winning form in the 5x5x5 Cube, topping the standings with an average of 54.72 seconds, ahead of the United Kingdom's Bella Campbell with 1:07.07 and Ben Timmons with 1:09.81. The Macau representative rounded out his triple crown by winning 3x3x3 One-Handed, posting an average of 14.24 seconds with a best single solve of 12.29 seconds. Daniel Hamilton secured runner-up honors in the one-handed event with 14.66, and Pedro Azevedo placed third with a mark of 16.85 seconds.

Away from the top of the podiums, the cubing competition provided fertile ground for personal breakthroughs across the roster. Xavier Zach Hill authored one of the largest drops of the weekend, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 4.98 seconds, an improvement of 68.1 percent over his previous benchmark. Brendan Rowley Morris entered three events, taking on his first ever official attempt at Pyraminx with a mark of 7.74 seconds and lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best to 8.38 seconds, a 60 percent improvement. Benjamin Rodgers improved his Pyraminx best by 51.5 percent with a 6.69 and logged his first Skewb solve at 10.36 seconds, while Sean Conlon completed eight events, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube best by 47.3 percent down to 1:20.76.

The depth of progress across the field was equally evident among those trying unfamiliar disciplines for the first time. Lee Dearn reduced his Clock personal record by 56.6 percent to 29.04 seconds, while Dylan Grimes lowered his Skewb mark by 37.8 percent to 13.73 seconds alongside his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:29.13. Elijah Gillespie expanded his repertoire by recording a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 3:01.18 and improving his Clock mark by 26.6 percent to 18.54 seconds. Meanwhile, newcomer Finn Hsu Caswell stepped onto the floor for his first WCA competition, tackling seven events including a 5.13 initial solve in the 2x2x2 Cube and a 28.66 in Clock.

The side events brought further distinction to local and visiting competitors across the 2025 gathering. Ben Timmons captured two titles for Ireland, claiming the Clock event with a winning average of 5.61 seconds ahead of compatriot Tiernan McCorry's 6.50, and winning the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline with a top single solve of 45.37 seconds. Ireland's James McCambridge followed in second place blindfolded with a solve of 54.09 seconds, while Pedro Azevedo finished third in 1:05.83.

Azevedo earned a victory of his own on the Megaminx tables, finishing first with an average of 42.00 seconds, besting Daniel Hamilton who finished in 50.35 seconds and Lucas Patrick Dowling who took third in 57.45. In the quick-turning Pyraminx division, Ireland's Oisín Olwill prevailed with a 2.42 winning average and a 1.71 single solve. Hamilton also added a gold medal in Skewb, averaging 4.02 seconds to complete a heavily decorated weekend for the Irish contingent.

By the final solves on Sunday, Ireland led the overall medal haul with seventeen podium placements, followed by Macau and Portugal with four apiece, Canada with three, and the United Kingdom with two. The classic Rubik's Cube remains a vibrant platform for head-to-head competition, and this speed cubing showcase highlighted both elite mastery and personal growth. Belfast Autumn 2025 delivered memorable drama from the main stage to the side tables, setting a high benchmark for the region as competitors look ahead to the next phase of the circuit.