Bristol Winter Beginners 2024

Inside the bustling Anson Rooms on December 15, 2024, the focus remained locked entirely on the timing mats as dozens of puzzle enthusiasts gathered. Tables were filled with competitors reviewing algorithm sheets and warming up their hands in the historic student venue. Bristol Winter Beginners 2024 brought a packed schedule of speedcubing action to Bristol, City of Bristol, United Kingdom, drawing 75 competitors together for a single day of high-stakes solving across five rounds of competition.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event came down to the wire across three demanding rounds featuring 74 competitors. China's Sheeran Xue held nerve through the final round to clinch victory, finishing with a winning average of 9.32 seconds and a best single time of 8.41. Hasan Bahadur of the United Kingdom provided intense pressure down the stretch, securing second place on the podium with an average of 10.38, while Gaojian Pan locked up third place with a 10.81 average to conclude the official 3x3 results.

In the 2x2x2 Cube event, a single round involving 56 competitors decided the entire podium. Bertie Longden of the United Kingdom seized first place with a winning average of 3.51 seconds alongside a best single of 3.10. Sheeran Xue pushed hard for a double victory, ultimately securing second place with a 3.68 average, while Hasan Bahadur earned third on the podium with a mark of 3.98 seconds, highlighting the fine margins that define short-format speed cubing.

The Pyraminx competition provided further fast-paced solving across a field of 51 entrants. Gaojian Pan took top honours for China, delivering a winning average of 6.02 seconds backed by a standout single solve of 3.99 seconds. Szymon Plesniak of Poland earned the second-place spot on the podium with an average of 7.50 seconds, while James Oatridge claimed third for the United Kingdom with a mark of 7.65 seconds in the single-round showdown.

Beyond the fight for top hardware, the cubing competition served as a stage for remarkable personal milestones across the field. Nicolas Fickert delivered a massive progression in the 2x2x2 Cube, posting a personal best of 13.15 seconds, which was 76.9 percent faster than their previous best mark. Saranveer Serou also showed tremendous growth, logging a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.44 seconds for a 59.5 percent improvement, and took 13th in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 17.37. Samuel Callaghan improved their 2x2x2 Cube best by 52.1 percent down to 3.04 seconds, while Teddy Gould took on Pyraminx for the first time with a 9.08 single and improved their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 37 percent to 21.49 seconds.

Several competitors also embraced their first official attempts at new puzzles during the gathering. Fred Vesma took 6th place in the 3x3x3 Cube while recording a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 2.85 seconds and a first Pyraminx attempt of 11.27. Reyansh Nair registered a first ever Pyraminx attempt of 7.56 seconds and placed 15th, while Keisuke Shibata recorded a first attempt in Pyraminx of 6.35 seconds to finish 8th. Marking a memorable debut WCA competition, Zayd Arif entered three events, logging a 2.88 on their first 2x2x2 Cube attempt and placing 11th in the 3x3x3 Cube.

Multiple competitors registered new official marks on the day in the 2x2x2 Cube, including Cobey Xie with a 5.01 single and 6.27 average, Archie Mark Hooper with a 3.84 single and 5.15 average, and Jacob Huey who turned in a 2.46 single and 4.98 average. Other notable benchmarks included Mark Turner with a 9.73 single, Elizabeth Gresty recording a 10.93 single, Tristan Bray finishing an 8.99 single, and Oscar Shuttleworth logging a 5.68 single and 7.81 average.

By the conclusion of Bristol Winter Beginners 2024, the final medal count stood level between China and the United Kingdom with four podium places each, alongside one podium finish for Poland. From classic Rubik's Cube solving to rapid Pyraminx rotations, the winter gathering at the Anson Rooms proved to be an outstanding showcase of talent and dedication as competitors prepare for the challenges of the next season.