Brilliant Ballarat 2023

A blistering 6.31 winning average by Feliks Zemdegs in the 3x3x3 Cube set the tone for an extraordinary weekend of speedcubing at St Patrick's Cathedral Hall. The tournament, held across February 25 and February 26, proved to be one of the most fiercely contested gatherings on the regional calendar. A massive roster of 140 competitors gathered in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, ensuring that every single progression into subsequent rounds had to be earned against world-class depth.

The 2023 staging of Brilliant Ballarat 2023 featured 10 distinct events spread across 17 rounds of competition. To stand on any podium required surviving wave after wave of intense heats. In the traditional Rubik's Cube main event, 135 competitors lined up in the opening round, creating one of the most crowded 3x3 results brackets of the year. Zemdegs took the victory with a best single of 5.69, while Riley Dexter secured second with a 7.05 average and Phoenix Patterson claimed third with a 7.63 mark.

The depth of talent across the venue made reaching the finals a demanding task throughout the weekend. In the 2x2x2 Cube, 125 entrants battled across two rounds before Phoenix Patterson captured top honours with a lightning 1.52 average and a 1.29 single. Feliks Zemdegs finished runner-up on a 2.00 average, followed by Riley Dexter on 2.47. Patterson was also in the mix across several other disciplines, underscoring the tight margins that defined every final round.

Beyond the smaller puzzles, the big cube divisions tested stamina and consistency in equal measure. Feliks Zemdegs earned another pair of gold finishes, winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 24.88 average and a 22.42 single ahead of Riley Dexter at 30.30 and Ray Zhang at 31.97. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Zemdegs prevailed once again, averaging 46.68 with a 41.81 single, while Zhang took second in 1:02.99 and Dexter completed the podium in 1:05.19.

Away from the top of the standings, the heart of this WCA competition belonged to competitors making significant breakthroughs in their development. Jackson Gaffiero took on four disciplines and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 27.65, a massive 60.8 percent improvement over his previous 1:10.52 mark, alongside a new Pyraminx best of 8.36 and his first ever attempt at Skewb with 11.63. Nicholas Penfold entered seven events, securing his best finish of 35th in Square-1 where he logged a first official attempt of 1:09.00, while slashing his Pyraminx personal best by 54.7 percent to 5.83 and improving his Skewb mark to 7.17. Tanish Ekkaldevi dropped his 3x3x3 Cube standard by 41.3 percent to 11.79 and tackled his first Pyraminx solve with 8.76.

The personal milestones continued across all disciplines for enthusiastic entrants tackling new challenges. Alice Farran improved her 3x3x3 Cube time by 39.3 percent to 34.18, alongside first-time marks of 6.00 in the 2x2x2 Cube and 17.85 in Pyraminx. Jonathan Nguyen improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal record by 38.5 percent to 24.53 while logging first attempts of 5.90 in Skewb and 9.52 in Pyraminx. Lukas Neumann registered a 36.2 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube to 6.76, while Jack Nguyen claimed seventh place in Square-1, logged first attempts in Skewb and Square-1, and lowered his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 31.5 percent to 1:49.67. Theodore Ford achieved his best finish of 46th in 5x5x5 Cube, took on first attempts in 5x5x5 Cube and Skewb, and lowered his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 27.9 percent to 2:04.39.

The side events provided equally compelling drama in this classic speed cubing festival. In Pyraminx, Junqi Feng captured the title with a 2.48 average, edging Wesley Allen at 2.60 and Phoenix Patterson at 3.21 from a field of 105 competitors. Skewb was won by Ziqi Ding with a 3.68 average, just ahead of Patterson who recorded a 3.74 average, while Levi Benjamin Matara-Ng took third. Auric Cui emerged triumphant in Square-1, posting an 11.85 winning average and an 8.95 single.

The blindfolded disciplines added a masterclass in concentration, where memorisation and flawless execution were essential. Michael Tripodi took double honours, claiming the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a 1:54.92 average and winning 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a 3:44.60 single. Tam Quan claimed the 3x3x3 Blindfolded crown with an 18.67 single before taking second in the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event behind Tripodi. Overall, Australian competitors claimed 29 podium spots and China secured one.

When the final timers were stopped, Brilliant Ballarat 2023 stood as a testament to the surging quality of the sport in the region. From the largest preliminary heats to the razor-thin margins of the finals, every solver faced immense pressure across the schedule. The weekend concluded with new standards set across ten events, proving that succeeding in this cubing competition required both mental toughness and technical precision.