Colombo Cubing Christmas 2023

The competition hall at Nalanda College in Colombo, Sri Lanka was filled with steady turning and clicking as competitors unpacked their puzzles for three packed days of speedcubing. Running from December 23 to December 25, the Colombo Cubing Christmas 2023 gathered 191 competitors to contest 17 events across 21 rounds. Enthusiasts from across the island gathered to test their skills in this massive official WCA competition to round out the 2023 season, showcasing incredible depth across both traditional and specialty formats.

The opening stages established a demanding schedule across the weekend as opening rounds got underway across multiple categories. Among the early highlights, the 2x2x2 Cube preliminary phase produced historic national milestones. Sithupa Sanudaya etched their name into the record books by securing a Sri Lankan national record single of 1.46 seconds alongside a national record average of 1.76 seconds. In the final round of the event, Benul Uthsala Subasinghe took the victory with a winning average of 2.92 seconds after posting a best single of 1.97 seconds.

As the schedule progressed through the middle of the weekend, Sujan Irosha Kumarapperuma began an extraordinary campaign across the puzzle roster. On the classic Rubik's Cube, the premier test of speed cubing excellence, Kumarapperuma claimed the title across three rigorous rounds of 3x3 results, finishing with a winning average of 9.60 seconds and a best single of 8.97 seconds. He added another title in Pyraminx with an average of 4.39 seconds, holding off a field of 126 competitors.

Kumarapperuma continued his march across the medium and big cubes through the middle sessions of Colombo Cubing Christmas 2023. He won the 4x4x4 Cube with a 32.95 second average, besting Samath Keppitiyagama who took second in 41.56 seconds and Sirima Witharanage Sathmika Navoda in third with 50.79 seconds. Kumarapperuma then secured victories in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:04.23 average, the 6x6x6 Cube in 2:09.12, and the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 4:05.82 ahead of Navoda and Keppitiyagama.

Beyond the classic cube sizes, the middle rounds saw fierce battles in specialty events. Kumarapperuma won 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 20.97 seconds, narrowly topping Samath Keppitiyagama who finished in 21.11 seconds and Theviru Vihansith Samaraweera in 23.19 seconds. Kumarapperuma also secured the Megaminx title with an average of 1:04.08, followed by Benul Uthsala Subasinghe at 1:37.15 and Chahel Chiranjeev Yapa Bandara Udawela at 2:04.55. Meanwhile, Navoda secured the Skewb crown with an average of 5.12 seconds, while Keppitiyagama won Square-1 in 23.17 seconds.

Behind the top podium spots, several competitors delivered massive personal milestones across their busy weekend schedules. Rammohotti Devnitha dropped their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 7.64 seconds, a 49.2 percent improvement over their previous 15.03 mark, while also taking on their first ever attempts at Pyraminx with 9.34 seconds and 5x5x5 Cube with 3:52.09. Rich Casey lowered their Skewb personal best to 12.23 seconds, improving by 47.6 percent from 23.36, while logging first-ever official attempts in the 6x6x6 Cube with 6:06.88 and Square-1 with 1:19.55 on the way to a 6th place finish in Clock. Methuka Sandil Tissera took on 13 events, recording first-time marks in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:23.62, 3x3x3 Fewest Moves at 52, and Megaminx at 3:22.66, with a best overall finish of 8th in Skewb. Lithum Damviru Perera contested 12 events, achieving a best finish of 6th in the 7x7x7 Cube alongside first-ever attempts in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 53, Megaminx with 3:04.27, and Pyraminx with 13.58.

The spirit of testing new boundaries continued with several other athletes embracing broad event rosters. Manija Kalansooriya entered 13 events, achieving 4th place in 2x2x2 Cube while logging first attempts in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves at 47, Pyraminx at 6.35, and Clock at 20.07. Pinindu Liyanage took on 12 events with a best finish of 6th in 3x3x3 One-Handed and initial official results in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves at 51, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:11.62, and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:21.84. In their first WCA competition, Evin Insitha Gunawardhana entered 12 events, earning a 9th place finish in Square-1 alongside maiden attempts in the 3x3x3 Cube at 16.96 seconds, Megaminx at 2:57.46, and 7x7x7 Cube at 14:02.00. Fellow debutant Bhashith Geenura Paviwek competed in 9 events, placing 6th in the 2x2x2 Cube and recording initial marks in Skewb at 4.60 seconds, 4x4x4 Cube at 57.41 seconds, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:43.14.

The final day brought focus to specialized mental challenges and blindfolded disciplines. Banura Perera proved untouchable in several alternative events, winning 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with an average of 40.33 moves, Clock with an 8.31 second average, and 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by solving 4 out of 6 cubes within 1:00:00. Perera also clinched the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a single time of 34:26.00. Hirosh Nividu took the remaining blindfolded honors, winning 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:44.24 single and 5x5x5 Blindfolded in 58:52.00.

Across all 17 disciplines at Colombo Cubing Christmas 2023, Sri Lankan competitors swept all 55 podium positions on offer. From the fast-paced 2x2x2 national records to the grueling multi-hour blindfolded solving sessions, this cubing competition provided an extensive celebration of puzzle solving. The three days at Nalanda College concluded a landmark gathering for the island's speedcubing community as participants looked ahead to the next competitive calendar.