Cocha Cubing I 2023

Inside the Pabellón Municipal de Gimnasia, the clatter of plastic pieces echoed across the hall as competitors prepared their puzzles for a full day of head-to-head racing. Hand timers rested on solving mats while judges took their positions, setting the stage for regional speedcubing contenders to challenge one another on June 18, 2023. The atmosphere throughout the gymnasium captured the intensity of local rivalries, with 83 competitors gathering to measure their skills across five distinct puzzles.

The fight for regional dominance defined Cocha Cubing I 2023 in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where 11 rounds of action yielded an absolute sweep of the podium places by Bolivian athletes. With 15 podium finishes earned across all categories, the battle for the top spots remained fierce from the morning heats to the evening finals. Speed cubing enthusiasts in the region tracked every rotation as top seeds traded fast times across the competition floor.

The main event brought a tense duel between Alejandro Marze Rossel and Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto in the classic Rubik's Cube. In the final round of the 75-competitor field, Marze Rossel secured first place with a winning average of 9.75 seconds alongside a best single of 9.50. Sirpa Pinto pushed the pace closely, taking second place with an average of 9.82 seconds, while Nancy Garcés Hazou claimed third on the podium with a 10.83 average, cementing the final 3x3 results in Cochabamba.

Marze Rossel and Sirpa Pinto resumed their battle in the 4x4x4 Cube, where 17 competitors took on two rounds of big-cube action. Marze Rossel captured his second title of the weekend by posting a winning average of 33.87 seconds, highlighted by the round's best single of 31.35. Sirpa Pinto followed in the runner-up position with an average of 34.52 seconds, and Rodrigo Ugarte earned the bronze position on the podium with a final average of 38.80 seconds.

The dynamic between the two rivals shifted in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, where single-arm control proved decisive. Over two rounds among 14 competitors, Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto gained the upper hand, taking first place with an average of 15.29 seconds and a best single of 14.36. Jhoel Manuel Callata Cardoso claimed the silver medal spot with a 15.76 average, narrowly edging Alejandro Marze Rossel, who took third on a mark of 15.88 seconds.

Away from the title clashes, the weekend provided a platform for competitors making huge individual leaps forward. Anahi Diandra Lujan Becerra delivered the biggest improvement of the competition in the 3x3x3 Cube, recording a personal best of 22.18 seconds, which was 69.9 percent faster than her prior mark of 1:13.79. Eddy Butrón Herrera dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best by 48.4 percent to finish on 21.62 seconds, while Daysel Llanos trimmed 44.3 percent from her 2x2x2 Cube personal best to hit 7.86 seconds. Eliaser Daniel Ramos Ajarachi improved his 2x2x2 Cube best to 9.21 seconds, a 40 percent drop, while also setting an 11.49 Pyraminx personal best across his three events.

First-time event attempts and debuts rounded out the deep progress seen throughout the event. Gael Flores Marquez logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a time of 52.88 seconds while also achieving a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 23.99 seconds. Mariel Ximena Parrado Andrade recorded her first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 10.94 seconds alongside a 25.81 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube. Marking their first WCA competition appearances, Josue Flores Carmona completed his first ever attempts at Pyraminx in 12.17 seconds, 2x2x2 Cube in 13.30, and 3x3x3 Cube in 49.50, while Francisco Khalil Quiñones Altamirano recorded first ever attempts of 37.41 in the 3x3x3 Cube, 19.01 in the Pyraminx, and 12.66 in the 2x2x2 Cube.

The 2x2x2 Cube event featured 31 competitors across two rounds and saw Jhoel Manuel Callata Cardoso capture first place with an average of 3.13 seconds and a best single of 2.20. Luis Flores earned second place with a 3.63 average, finishing just ahead of Rodrigo Mateo Inochea Fernández, who secured third place on a 3.68 mark during the Cocha Cubing I 2023 showdown.

Pyraminx racing closed out the schedule with 26 competitors vying across two rounds of triangular solves. Jhersson Cabezas Luizaga came out on top with a winning average of 4.93 seconds and a best single of 3.50. Nancy Garcés Hazou secured another podium place by taking second with a 5.31 average, edging Henry Ramirez Escobar, who finished in third place with a 5.35 average. The competitive spirit at Cocha Cubing I 2023 highlighted the depth of local talent in Bolivia as this cubing competition concluded.