Bolivia Nationals 2023

Xavier Antonio Balderrama securing the premier 3x3x3 Cube title with a 9.71-second winning average anchored a weekend defined by dramatic personal improvement at Bolivia Nationals 2023. Balderrama recorded a blistering best single of 8.74 seconds across the four rounds of the main event, besting a massive field of 152 competitors who tackled the classic Rubik's Cube. Taking place in La Paz, Bolivia, from July 7 to July 9, 2023, the event brought together 156 delegates to contest 17 disciplines across 35 rounds of competitive action. While the headline winners secured the medals, the real story of this WCA competition was the sheer volume of personal milestones and breakthrough performances logged on the timer.

Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto proved to be a dominant force across the larger puzzles at the Centro de Eventos y Convenciones del Hotel Calacoto. He swept the 5x5x5 Cube with a 58.59-second winning average, the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:50.86, and the 7x7x7 Cube in a winning average of 3:03.04. The 2023 season has seen fierce competition in speedcubing, but Sirpa Pinto's mastery of the big cubes stood out, logging a 2:55.62 best single in the 7x7x7 Cube. Elsewhere, Alejandro Marze Rossel claimed victories in both the 4x4x4 Cube with a 31.12-second average and the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, taking that title with a 15.45-second winning average.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw national records rewritten multiple times throughout the rounds. Jhoel Manuel Callata Cardoso set a Bolivian record single of 2.18 seconds and a record average of 2.92 seconds, before Amaru Aloys Ancasi Pevec lowered the single mark to 1.88 seconds. Ancasi Pevec eventually took the event title with a winning average of 3.46 seconds. The record-breaking form continued with Ignacio Mita Cabezas, Samuel Maija Temo, Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas, Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto, Claudio Andre Gomez Villca, Luis Flores, Xavier Antonio Balderrama, and Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto all adding their names to the history books with national record singles or averages in the 2x2x2 Cube during the competition.

Beyond the podium finishes and national records, Bolivia Nationals 2023 was a festival of personal progression. Rebeca Daniela Quezada Claure obliterated her 3x3x3 Cube personal best, dropping her time from 47.42 to 17.73 seconds, a remarkable 62.6% improvement, while also making her first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube, logging a 5.04. Ian Spencer Rodriguez Mariño also found another gear, improving his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 55.6% to hit 15.51 seconds, and recording his first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.84. Miroslava Maria Calvi Ochoa matched that 55.6% improvement rate in the 3x3x3 Cube, bringing her best down to 47.09 seconds, and stepping up for her first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The spirit of testing new waters continued down the standings. Damián Amilkar Vicente Tordoya entered eight events, achieving his best finish of 5th in the 2x2x2 Cube, and registered his first ever attempts at Skewb, 5x5x5 Cube, and Megaminx. Amir Antonio Lopez Ancasi sliced 46.3% off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to hit 2.99 seconds, while making his first ever attempt at Skewb. Jesús Salazar took on the Megaminx for the first time, logging a 3:06.47, and improved his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 43.2%. Gael Osvaldo Villarroel Torrez improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 31.5% to 19.71 seconds and made his first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube. Gabriel Alejandro Ramallo Baudoin recorded a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 9.52 seconds, a 31.9% improvement, alongside his first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube.

In the blindfolded disciplines, which demand intense memorisation and spatial awareness, Juan Dilan Nina Magueño secured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a best single of 1:09.23, holding off Joel Mamani Tumiri. Mamani Tumiri found his own success in the grueling 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, winning with a best single of 7/8 in 52:54, and also taking the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title. Nina Magueño rounded out the blindfolded categories by winning the 5x5x5 Blindfolded event with a single of 31:16.00. The dedication required to compete in these events highlights the depth of skill present in modern speed cubing.

The variety of events at Bolivia Nationals 2023 catered to every specialism. Antonio Adorno Suarez claimed the Pyraminx title with a 3.83-second winning average, while Moisés Marco Quispe Arellano secured the Skewb victory in a 4.52-second average. Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto added to his success by taking the Megaminx title in 48.30 seconds and the Clock event in 12.89 seconds. In the highly technical events, Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas won 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 33.67 winning average, and Samuel Antonio Cruz Coareti mastered the Square-1, winning with a 10.29-second average. Tracking the 3x3 results across the different variations showed a high standard across the board.

As the dust settled at the Centro de Eventos y Convenciones del Hotel Calacoto, the true measure of success was visible on the faces of the competitors checking their results. From the blistering 3x3x3 Cube winning average of Xavier Antonio Balderrama to the dozens of personal bests scattered throughout the rankings, Bolivia Nationals 2023 delivered a weekend of tangible progress. With 51 podium places staying in Bolivia and one heading to Peru, the regional talent pool looks stronger than ever. The focus now shifts back to practice and preparation, as the cubing competition circuit rolls on toward the next challenge.