Bristol Winter 2024

Inside the bustling Anson Rooms on the University of Bristol campus, the unmistakable cadence of turning plastic filled the air as solving stations remained active across two days of intense competition. Tables were lined with timers, stopwatches, and competitors warming up their hands in the middle of January. Bristol Winter 2024 brought a lively atmosphere to Bristol, City of Bristol, United Kingdom on January 20 and January 21, assembling 97 competitors across ten distinct events and 15 rounds of competition.

The gathering served as a brilliant showcase of speedcubing growth, with young competitors demonstrating how rapidly practice translates into major leaps forward. This cubing competition featured a vast mix of disciplines, ranging from classic three-layered puzzles to massive big cubes and specialized formats. Throughout the 2024 weekend, participants showed that determination and focused practice could yield staggering time drops across every round, illustrating the vibrant future of competitive puzzle solving.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 92 competitors through three stages of head-to-head racing. When the final round wrapped up, Tim O'Brien of the USA secured the title with a winning average of 7.70 seconds, supported by an impressive 6.46 best single. Ireland's Ciarán Beahan pressed closely to take second place on the podium with an average of 7.89, while Jake Brown of the United Kingdom claimed third with an 8.19 mark. The 3x3 results also featured a highlight national record single of 6.26 by Macau's Max Kwok U Sam.

Across the broader schedule, Ciarán Beahan delivered an exceptional multi-event display, taking first place in five separate categories. Beahan earned the 4x4x4 Cube crown with a 25.22 average, topped the 5x5x5 Cube field in 44.72, conquered the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:19.58, and captured the 7x7x7 Cube with a 1:50.94 average. To round out his haul, Beahan also won the 3x3x3 One-Handed event with an average of 13.71, demonstrating mastery over puzzles of all sizes and solving styles.

Beyond the title fights, the heart of this WCA competition belonged to personal growth and daring first attempts. Sam Williams took on seven events and delivered a Clock personal best of 9.77, which was an astounding 63 percent faster than his prior mark of 26.37, alongside maiden attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 2:31.86 and Megaminx at 1:52.09. Oliver Lampard entered eight events, achieving a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 2:53.52 to cut 40.1 percent off his record, a 7x7x7 Cube best of 4:33.63 that was 25.2 percent faster, and a first ever 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt of 28.02.

Progress continued across the venue as Emily Hart lowered her 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 42 percent down to 29.99 and reduced her Clock personal best by 35.2 percent to 21.19, while also taking a first ever attempt at Skewb in 9.19. Felix Burgmann improved his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 39 percent to 40.18, logged an 18.81 personal best on the standard Rubik's Cube, and completed a debut Skewb attempt of 12.08. Kai Vermeulen registered an eight-event workload, highlighted by a 1:31.07 Megaminx personal best that improved his previous time by 27.3 percent.

Several other competitors stepped into new disciplines for the first time during the Bristol Winter 2024 program. Olaf Lis tackled six events, recording first attempts in Clock with 26.89, 5x5x5 Cube with 3:27.32, and 3x3x3 One-Handed with 47.05. William Slatter recorded debut times of 1:04.38 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 13.78 in Clock, and 1:20.63 in 4x4x4 Cube. Magnus Watson rounded out his five-event weekend by posting fresh benchmarks of 57.97 in 4x4x4 Cube, 33.00 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, and 7.13 in Skewb.

Specialized disciplines provided further excitement, as Cham J. Chambers captured the Clock final with a 3.96 winning average and a single of 2.96. In Skewb, Aidan Grainger topped the field of 65 with a 5.00 average, then added another victory in Megaminx with a 32.68 average. Solving without sight demands immense mental clarity and precise memorisation, and Thomas Patterson handled the 3x3x3 Blindfolded challenge masterfully, winning the final with a rapid 37.16 single solve.

By the time the final timers were packed away, Bristol Winter 2024 stood as a testament to the thriving energy in the regional speed cubing community. The event blended elite podium battles with massive personal improvements across every experience level. As competitors departed the Anson Rooms with new records and hard-earned experience, the rapid progression on display set a thrilling standard for the remainder of the cubing season.