Berkeley December Weekday Tricubealon 2024

A winning average of 6.55 seconds set the tone for an explosive day of speedcubing on December 4, 2024. Staged at the ASUC Student Union Martin Luther King Jr. Building, Tilden venue in Berkeley, California, USA, the Berkeley December Weekday Tricubealon 2024 brought together 39 competitors for a focused three-event schedule. Speed cubing enthusiasts were treated to rapid-fire action across seven total rounds, highlighted by intense battles on the classic puzzle.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew all 39 participants through three rigorous stages of competition. Heidi Chan of the USA set the standard throughout, taking top honours on the podium with a decisive 6.55 final average and a best single solve of 6.15 seconds. Chan consistently pushed the pace, clocking times including a 6.35 single and a 6.72 average earlier in the rounds. Zhouheng Sun of China took second place with a 7.51 average, supported by a blazing 6.19 single and a 7.00 average, while American Calix Tang rounded out the top three with a 7.66 average.

The 3x3 results across the bracket reflected incredible depth on the traditional Rubik's Cube. Several competitors delivered outstanding times, including Ethan Jan with a 6.75 single and 7.49 average, and Tang delivering a 6.99 single alongside an 8.20 average. Micah Yeo notched an 8.00 single and 8.45 average, while Zane Qureshi registered a 7.79 single with a 9.17 average. Ruby Lu recorded a 9.02 single and 9.90 average, Anto Kam scored a 9.26 single and 10.32 average, Jason Wong registered a 9.75 single and 10.40 average, and Gavin Panfeng Jiang turned in an 8.95 single and 10.48 average.

Beyond the main event, the Berkeley December Weekday Tricubealon 2024 offered plenty of specialized intrigue across its other brackets. The 3x3x3 One-Handed event featured 29 competitors across two rounds, where dexterity and fingertrick efficiency were pushed to the limit. Anto Kam of Hong Kong claimed first place with a crisp winning average of 10.21 seconds, also bagging the round's best single at 8.99 seconds. Zhouheng Sun pushed closely behind to take the runner-up spot with a 10.32 average, while Calix Tang claimed third place with a 12.50 average.

Memory and spatial mastery took centre stage in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition, which brought 13 solvers to the tables over two rounds. Solving without sight requires complete mental mapping of the cube before executing algorithmic execution under pressure. Calix Tang emerged victorious for the USA with a lightning-fast single time of 19.65 seconds. Anto Kam secured second place on the podium with a 21.28 single, and David Karalli locked down third place with a 39.20 single solve.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the heart of this cubing competition beat through personal breakthroughs and remarkable individual progress. Prajin Vikraman delivered an extraordinary leap in 3x3x3 One-Handed, setting a personal best of 37.26 seconds to finish 40.1 percent faster than their previous mark of 1:02.17, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube best of 15.37 seconds that was 9.9 percent faster than their prior 17.06. Kfir Kliakhandler sliced huge time off their 3x3x3 Cube mark, posting an 18.01 single to finish 38.4 percent faster than their old 29.25 standard. Balis Peirce also saw massive single-handed gains, trimming their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 22.3 percent down to 38.21 seconds from 49.20.

The excitement continued as Benjamin Knutsen cut 19.2 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube benchmark with an 18.02 solve, while Patrick Francisco improved their classic cube best by 8.2 percent to 14.35 seconds and added a 29.96 in one-handed play. James Troncoso dropped their one-handed mark by 5.8 percent down to 19.65 seconds. Meanwhile, four competitors made their career debut at a sanctioned WCA competition, taking their first ever attempt on the 3x3x3 Cube: Shubham Salgar finished in 17.75 seconds, Ryland Cornick recorded 29.60, Atulith Sarvabhatla posted 42.48, and Zane Chu logged 45.47.

Overall podium tallies reflected strong international showings, with the USA earning five podium spots, while Hong Kong and China collected two apiece. Stephen Huan earned a strong sixth-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube, Jason Wong finished seventh in 3x3x3 One-Handed, and Goodwin Liu took fifth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. As the 2024 calendar heads toward the next season of competition, the performances in Berkeley stand as a testament to high-calibre solving and widespread personal advancement across every round.