Cool Down Singapore 2024

A total of 75 competitors stepped up for the 3x3x3 One-Handed event across three intense rounds of play, putting dexterity, table grip, and finger execution to the ultimate test. Solving a Rubik's Cube with a single hand demands exceptional ergonomic control, rapid move transitions, and calm turning under pressure. Malaysia's Tee Kai Yang emerged at the top of the one-handed division, securing victory with a rapid 9.61 winning average after logging an event-best single of 8.37 to showcase masterclass single-hand technique.

Held from November 9 to November 10 at Paya Lebar Quarter 3, Cool Down Singapore 2024 brought together a packed field of 199 competitors representing multiple countries in Singapore, Singapore. Across 13 official events and 33 total rounds, the WCA competition offered non-stop action across puzzles of all dimensions. From high-speed hardware turns to complex mechanical setups, the two-day cubing competition tested every layer of modern speedcubing ability in the 2024 tournament calendar.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 185 entrants through four grueling rounds of competition. China's Yiheng Wang took top honours, registering a stunning 4.26 winning average alongside the weekend's best single solve of 4.06. In the final 3x3 results, Korea's Seung Hyuk Nahm placed second with an average of 6.44, while 3x3x3 One-Handed champion Tee Kai Yang took third place for Malaysia with a 6.56 average.

Beyond the main event, Yiheng Wang also captured the Pyraminx crown with a 2.43 winning average and a 1.95 best single. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Nigel Phang took first place for Singapore with a blistering 1.14 final average, finishing ahead of Yiheng Wang at 1.46 and Malaysia's Ng Jia Quan at 1.63. Nigel Phang added a second tournament victory by winning Clock with a 3.96 average ahead of Ng Jia Quan and Akash Sreedharan, while Luis Tan Hong Yi led a Singapore one-two in Skewb with a 2.82 average ahead of Phang's 3.32.

The spotlight also shone bright on competitors pushing their personal limits and branching out into brand-new events across the schedule. Kyler Wu Kai Shun took on eight events, lowering his Square-1 personal best to 16.84 from 46.46 for a massive 63.8 percent improvement, alongside dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best to 10.39 and his one-handed mark to 27.14. Ong Yan XI Joel slashed his 3x3x3 Cube best by 49.6 percent down to 21.33 while making his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.74 single. Teo Zhi Long Russell took on four events, improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 36.4 percent to 23.42 and logging debut attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:45.52 and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:13.34. Kaydo Huang took on five disciplines, lowering their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 34.2 percent to 15.06 and completing first attempts in Clock at 11.72 and Pyraminx at 6.78.

That spirit of multi-event growth continued with Caleb Wong Jian Jie, who tackled five events while improving his Pyraminx mark by 24.2 percent to 8.63 and recording debut attempts of 1:21.58 in 4x4x4 Cube and 32.13 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Jemma Lim Rui Qi lowered her 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 26.5 percent to 4.00 and entered Skewb and Pyraminx for the first time, posting marks of 6.76 and 8.18 respectively. Derrick Lukimin cut his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 19.8 percent to 11.07 while logging a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 53.12 and a debut 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve of 2:19.81. Meanwhile, Lim Zhe Hsien earned a best finish of 10th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while posting first ever attempts in 3x3x3 Cube at 11.51, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 21.92, and 4x4x4 Cube at 51.42.

The big cubes belonged squarely to Korea's Seung Hyuk Nahm, who put on a dominant display across all four large-puzzle categories. Nahm claimed victory in 4x4x4 Cube with a 24.24 average, 5x5x5 Cube with a 39.63 average, 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:11.61 average, and 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 1:50.71. China's Anyu Zhang secured podium finishes in three of those large cube divisions, taking runner-up spots in 6x6x6 Cube at 1:21.90 and 7x7x7 Cube at 2:01.55, as well as third place in 5x5x5 Cube at 49.37.

Cool Down Singapore 2024 concluded with outstanding performances in the specialty events. In Megaminx, Singapore's Tristan Chua Yong captured the title with a 28.99 winning average, while Malaysia's Ng Jia Quan took the Square-1 victory averaging 9.71. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, where competitors must rely entirely on memorisation before executing moves without sight, Theodore Chan won with a best single solve of 19.60 seconds. The speed cubing weekend wrapped up with host nation Singapore leading the overall medal count with 15 podium finishes, ahead of Malaysia with nine and Korea with eight.