Bristol Summer 2023

The Anson Rooms filled with the familiar clatter of plastic and the steady hum of timers as Bristol Summer 2023 got underway. Across two days of high-tempo solving in Bristol, City of Bristol, United Kingdom, competitors and spectators gathered to watch a packed roster of speedcubing disciplines unfold. From the earliest practice solves on the side tables to the official calls to the staging area, the atmosphere inside the venue reflected a busy midsummer gathering. A total of 112 competitors took their places across 17 rounds and 10 events over July 8 and July 9, 2023.

The spotlight shone brightest on the classic Rubik's Cube, which brought together a field of 110 participants across three rounds. Caleb Wolf Dunn captured the top step in the 3x3x3 Cube final, logging an 8.36 winning average alongside an 8.01 single to seal the victory. The fast-paced final round wrapped up a weekend of fierce head-to-head racing, delivering some of the most anticipated 3x3 results of the tournament. The sharp turns and quick inspections on the main stage kept the energy running high through Sunday afternoon.

Dean David delivered a commanding performance across mid-sized puzzles and specialized formats, securing two championship titles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, David took the win with a 30.73 average and a single of 28.50, holding off Poland's Bart Sekulski at 31.92 and China's Ziang Yan at 33.54. David returned to the top of the podium in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 15.65 average to best Aidan Grainger and Milo Taylor. Grainger logged a 16.24 average for second place, while Taylor took third with a 16.41 mark.

Bart Sekulski struck back in the 5x5x5 Cube, breaking the minute barrier to secure first place with a 58.59 winning average and a single of 49.80. David followed in second with a 1:01.06 average, while Ziang Yan earned another podium finish for China in third place at 1:08.43. Meanwhile, Aidan Grainger topped the Megaminx event, putting together a 34.56 average and a 32.80 single to lead the 47-person field.

The big-cube events and blindfolded solving belonged to Ben Stokes, who claimed three separate event victories. Stokes secured the 6x6x6 Cube title with a 1:50.26 average, just edging out Bart Sekulski's 1:50.53, while David placed third. Stokes added the 7x7x7 Cube title with a 3:08.75 average ahead of Zhedong Wang and David. Stokes also mastered the memory and execution challenges of 3x3x3 Blindfolded, posting a single of 19.24 to win ahead of Ryan Eckersley and Oliver Wheat.

Away from the top steps of the podium, numerous participants reached personal milestones throughout the cubing competition. Adam Stringer sliced 84 percent off his previous Clock mark with an 8.35 single and made his first official attempt at Square-1 with a 28.16. Joh Fujita improved his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 67.9 percent to 2:35.80 and took his first crack at 3x3x3 One-Handed. Carter Swan cut 46.3 percent from his one-handed best down to 40.28 and took on both Megaminx and Square-1 for the first time. William Levio reduced his 4x4x4 single by 29.9 percent to 1:18.45 and completed his initial Megaminx attempt.

Other competitors took on demanding multi-event schedules at this WCA competition. Daniel Billingham competed across all 10 events, making his first official attempts at 6x6x6, 7x7x7, and Megaminx. George Carpenter tackled five events, trying both 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 for the first time while taking 28.6 percent off his 5x5x5 single. Liam Thomas Richards entered eight events, registering first attempts in 5x5x5, 3x3x3 One-Handed, and Square-1. Emily Hart tried both Clock and 4x4x4 for the first time while trimming 27.1 percent from her one-handed best.

Fast finishes continued in the specialist events, where Ryan Eckersley won Square-1 with a 9.15 average, finishing ahead of Billie Hammill and Fengyuan Kelvin Lou. In Clock, Fengyuan Kelvin Lou secured victory with a 5.07 average, narrowly ahead of Sam Shaw's 5.28 and Ed Scholey's 5.92. Altogether, United Kingdom competitors earned 24 podium spots, while Polish and Chinese competitors secured three apiece, capping an energetic weekend of speed cubing at the Anson Rooms.