Clocked in Quezon City 2024

Inside the NS Amoranto Tennis Court, competition tables and timers stood ready as 44 competitors gathered with championship-level focus on June 30, 2024. Every turn of a layer carried decisive weight in this intense one-day World Cube Association fixture. With a packed schedule spanning six events and twelve total rounds, participants from across the region arrived in Quezon City, Philippines prepared to push their limits under strict tournament conditions, knowing that small margins on the timer would separate podium finishers from the rest of the pack.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew all 44 participants into a single, high-pressure round where every solve was critical. Sean Patrick Villanueva delivered an extraordinary display of precision and speedcubing skill to capture first place, recording a winning average of 5.45 seconds alongside the day's best single of 5.01 seconds. The rest of the podium saw fierce competition, as Maverick Sua secured second place with a 7.22 average and a single of 6.43. Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc earned third place with a 7.45 average, closely followed by Brenton Angelo Lo Wong in fourth at 7.50.

The 3x3 results in the main event highlighted widespread depth across the standings. Javier Ignacio completed the round with an 8.35 average, Christian Naguio posted an 8.58 average, and Dale Palmares recorded an 8.74 mark. Kat Gonzalez finished with an 8.91 average, while Jansen Alvarez and Ethan Francis Jagonio registered averages of 9.28 and 9.82 seconds respectively. The standard of classic Rubik's Cube solving across the field showcased how refined competitive technique has become throughout the local scene in 2024.

Villanueva duplicated his dominance in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, besting a field of 34 competitors across two rounds. Controlling the puzzle with a single hand demands exceptional finger dexterity and lookahead, qualities Villanueva demonstrated with a winning average of 9.52 seconds and a single of 6.05 seconds. The podium mirrored the main event's top three exactly, as Sua took the silver position with a 12.16 average and Palisoc claimed another bronze finish with a 13.14 average.

The namesake Clock event brought 26 solvers into action across three competitive rounds at Clocked in Quezon City 2024. Zoei Principe proved unbeatable through each phase, ultimately winning the final round with an average of 3.85 seconds and a single of 3.42 seconds. Yuji Yoshida followed in second place with a 5.51 average, while Karl Abarquez completed the all-Filipino podium in third place with a 5.91 mark.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several participants marked remarkable milestones in their competitive journeys. Gabriel Adrian Cruz took on four events and delivered major personal bests, cutting his 7x7x7 Cube mark to 3:04.97, which was 51 percent faster than his previous best of 6:17.20, while also shaving 39.7 percent off his 6x6x6 Cube time to reach 2:02.05 alongside a 58.85 in 5x5x5 Cube. Justin Louis D. Olivan tackled two events, posting his first ever official Clock attempt at 32.58 seconds and lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.92 seconds, an improvement of 36.6 percent. Hugo Lorenzo Arandez Taruc entered all six disciplines, logging official debuts in the 5x5x5 Cube at 3:19.03 and the 6x6x6 Cube at 7:14.44 while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 28.3 percent down to 16.72 seconds.

The drive for progress was equally visible among other determined entrants. Amir Ocon Decena logged his first ever attempts in both 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 29.84 and Clock with a 15.96 across three events. Markus Wong took on five events, establishing inaugural marks of 41.19 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 4:15.44 in 6x6x6 Cube, and 5:13.27 in 7x7x7 Cube. Timothy Bulatao achieved an official debut in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 40.61 seconds and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best to 17.34 seconds, a 10.8 percent improvement. Luis Gabriel Cueto Pahati also logged his first one-handed solve at 1:59.57 and advanced his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 28.42 seconds, an improvement of 12.5 percent.

The big cube events saw intense battles across the higher-order puzzles. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc claimed the title with a 49.16 winning average and a 45.77 single, edging out Anyu Zhang of China who finished second at 50.12, with Brenton Angelo Lo Wong taking third at 53.87. Zhang rebounded decisively in the larger categories, sweeping the remaining events. Zhang captured the 6x6x6 Cube title with a 1:21.40 average, ahead of Palmares at 1:30.97 and Palisoc at 1:32.73, before taking the 7x7x7 Cube victory with an average of 2:03.02 over Palmares at 2:22.76 and Naguio at 2:29.77.

Across the entire WCA competition, competitors from the Philippines collected fifteen podium placements while China earned three. The intense speed cubing action throughout Clocked in Quezon City 2024 proved that high stakes bring out the best in both seasoned champions and emerging talents. As the equipment was packed away at the NS Amoranto Tennis Court, the successful cubing competition set a high competitive standard for the community heading into the next chapter of the season.

Umapaw ang sigla sa loob ng NS Amoranto Tennis Court habang naghahanda ang mga kalahok sa kani-kanilang mga opisyal na solve sa ilalim ng maliwanag na ilaw ng bulwagan. Sa bawat pag-ikot ng mga piyesa at pagbagsak ng mga kamay sa timer, ramdam ang bigat ng bawat segundo sa buong paligid ng Quezon City, Philippines noong June 30, 2024. Bago pa man nailatag ang mga opisyal na marka, naging malinaw na ang buong araw ay magiging isang mahigpit na pagsubok ng bilis, tibay ng loob, at konsentrasyon para sa lahat ng dumalo.

Ang torneo na kinilala bilang Clocked in Quezon City 2024 ay nagtipon ng 44 na manlalaro na sumabak sa 6 na magkakaibang kategorya sa kabuuang 12 rounds. Dahil sa dami at kalidad ng mga kalahok sa speedcubing, naging napakahirap para sa kahit sinong makapasok sa mga final round. Sa bawat kategorya, kinailangan ng bawat isa na magpakita ng halos perpektong galaw upang makaabante, patunay sa lumalalim na antas ng husay sa bawat cubing competition sa bansa ngayong taon.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng 3x3x3 Cube, na may 44 na kalahok sa isang solong round, ipinamalas ni Sean Patrick Villanueva ang kanyang pambihirang galing matapos manguna bitbit ang winning average na 5.45 at pinakamabilis na single solve na 5.01. Sumunod sa kanya si Maverick Sua sa ikalawang puwesto na may average na 7.22 at single na 6.43, habang pumangatlo naman si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc na nagtala ng 7.45 average at 7.19 single. Matindi rin ang naging laban sa gitna ng standing kung saan nagrehistro si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong ng 7.50 average at 6.57 single, si Javier Ignacio na may 8.35 average, at si Christian Naguio na nagtala ng 8.58 average.

Hindi nagtapos doon ang dominasyon ni Sean Patrick Villanueva dahil nasungkit din niya ang unang puwesto sa 3x3x3 One-Handed sa pamamagitan ng 9.52 winning average at 6.05 pinakamagandang single mula sa 34 na kalahok. Muli niyang nakatunggali sa podium si Maverick Sua na nagtapos sa ikalawang puwesto gamit ang 12.16 average, habang si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc ang muling kumuha ng ikatlong puwesto sa kanyang 13.14 average. Ang parehong pagkakaayos ng podium sa dalawang kategoryang ito ay nagpatunay sa kanilang matibay na kontrol sa mga Rubik's Cube events sa buong torneo.

Bukod sa mga nakatuntong sa entablado, ang tunay na kagandahan ng weekend ay nasaksihan sa mga personal na tagumpay ng iba pang mga kalahok. Ipinamalas ni Jhazmine Lacsamana ang isa sa pinakamalaking pag-unlad nang magtala ng personal best na 18.18 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed, na 19.8 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dati niyang 22.66, bukod pa sa kanyang unang opisyal na solve sa Clock na 29.55 at ika-20 puwesto sa 3x3x3 Cube. Malaking hakbang din ang naitala ni Sid Elijah E. Ortega na nagtala ng personal best na 11.59 sa 3x3x3 Cube, na 15.8 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa kanyang dating 13.77, upang magtapos sa ika-27 na puwesto.

Nagpakitang-gilas din ang marami sa kanilang mga unang pagsubok sa iba't ibang kategorya. Sumabak si Joshua B. Elca sa tatlong kategorya kung saan nakuha niya ang ika-9 na puwesto sa Clock, nagtala ng unang subok sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 33.15, at nagtala ng 3x3x3 Cube personal best na 10.86. Sa kanyang unang WCA competition, sumabak agad si Franco Ethan Royce R. Campos sa dalawang events na may 55.49 sa kanyang unang One-Handed solve, 14.33 sa unang 3x3x3 solve, at ika-36 na puwesto. Gayundin si Samuel Ang na nagtapos sa kanyang unang torneo na may 34.02 sa 3x3x3 Cube at 1:16.93 sa One-Handed. Sinubukan naman ni Neo Vittorio Dalacat ang kanyang unang One-Handed solve sa bilis na 33.90 kasabay ng 11.91 personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube, habang si Nathan Liam L. Abarquez ay nagtala ng kanyang unang solve sa Clock sa bilis na 14.44.

Sa mas malalaking puzzle, nangibabaw si Anyu Zhang mula sa China matapos walisin ang mga pinakamataas na puwesto sa dalawang kategorya. Sa 6x6x6 Cube na may 18 kalahok, nagwagi si Anyu Zhang tangan ang 1:21.40 winning average at 1:14.06 single, kasunod si Dale Palmares na may 1:30.97 average at Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc na may 1:32.73. Muling naghari si Anyu Zhang sa 7x7x7 Cube laban sa 19 na manlalaro nang magtala ng 2:03.02 winning average at 1:58.64 single, habang pumangalawa si Dale Palmares sa 2:22.76 at pumangatlo si Christian Naguio sa 2:29.77.

Bumawi naman ang mga pambato ng Pilipinas sa iba pang laro tulad ng 5x5x5 Cube kung saan nagwagi si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc na may winning average na 49.16 at 45.77 best single, laban kay Anyu Zhang na pumangalawa sa 50.12 at Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na pumangatlo sa 53.87. Sa kategoryang Clock na kinatampukan ng 26 na kalahok sa 3 rounds, nakuha ni Zoei Principe ang kampeonato gamit ang 3.85 winning average at 3.42 single, habang sumunod sina Yuji Yoshida na may 5.51 average at Karl Abarquez na nagtala ng 5.91.

Sa kabuuang bilang ng mga puwesto sa podium, nakalikom ang Pilipinas ng 15 habang nakakuha naman ang China ng 3. Nagpakita rin ng matitinding performance sa 3x3x3 Cube sina Dale Palmares na may 8.74 average, Kat Gonzalez na may 8.91 average, Jansen Alvarez na may 9.28 average, at Ethan Francis Jagonio na nagtala ng 9.82 average. Ang matagumpay na pagtatapos ng Clocked in Quezon City 2024 ay nag-iwan ng malinaw na mensahe ukol sa lumalawak na talento at matinding kompetisyon sa buong komunidad.