Coping in Auckland 2025

Precision and control dictate every turn on the competitive table, rewarding solvers who pair steady calculation with relentless fingertricks. At Drury Hall, the single most striking outcome came in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where Ireland's Kalin Doherty secured victory with an unmatched single solve of 1:00.69 despite a DNF average. That triumph set the tone for an intense single-day meeting, where Doherty also captured the marquee 3x3x3 Cube crown with an 8.52 winning average.

Held on July 5, 2025, Coping in Auckland 2025 brought 59 competitors to Auckland, New Zealand, for a packed schedule spanning six events and 11 rounds. The venue hosted seasoned champions alongside newcomers eager to test their mettle in an official WCA competition. Solvers tackled everything from the classic Rubik's Cube to high-order layers and rapid tetrahedral twists, creating a vibrant showcase of regional speedcubing talent.

Doherty's performance across the 3x3 results proved decisive in the main event, where his winning average of 8.52 and best single of 8.05 held off a ferocious challenge from New Zealand's Carol Chai, who finished second at 8.84. Edwin Shen rounded out the podium in third place with a 9.32 average. Doherty added to his medal tally across multiple formats, earning Ireland four podium finishes on the day.

Chai delivered an extraordinary multi-discipline showcase of her own, securing two championship titles and five total podium placements across the weekend. In Pyraminx, Chai dominated a field of 42 competitors, taking gold with a 2.79 winning average and a 2.13 single, finishing ahead of Kaiden Ziegler at 4.11 and Doherty at 4.29. Chai also claimed the top spot in Skewb with a 3.80 average, once again besting Ziegler, who took second at 5.15, and Brandon Harris in third at 5.66.

Beyond the podiums, the official scorecards captured remarkable milestones from dedicated competitors across the floor. Isabella Sequeiros Egan took on four events and smashed her previous bests, recording a Skewb personal best of 15.16 to go 48.8 percent faster than before, while also improving in Pyraminx with 16.36 and 3x3x3 with 40.93. Ethan Ruoqing Chen delivered a massive leap in the 5x5x5 Cube, clocking a personal best of 2:01.15 to outpace his previous mark by 41.7 percent. Marco Lawson-Hughes entered three events, logging his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 8.99 and dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 5.70, an improvement of 41.7 percent. Apollo McVey tackled four events, claiming 10th place in 2x2x2 Cube and slashing his Skewb best by 40.1 percent down to 9.80.

Fresh debuts and heavy workloads added further depth to the afternoon action. Charlie Sly took on all six events on the schedule, earning 6th place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a first ever 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 2:06.74, a first ever blindfolded attempt of 5:27.64, and shaving 26.5 percent off a 2x2x2 personal best with a 3.63 single. Ryan Dyer also entered six events, claiming 4th place in 2x2x2 Cube while cutting his Pyraminx best by 39.1 percent down to 4.04 and notching a 3.25 in Skewb. Finn Kilgallon logged a first ever attempt at Skewb with an 8.00 and dropped his 2x2x2 personal best to 2.68, while Oscar Bowler completed his very first speed cubing tournament by logging initial marks of 6.07 in 2x2x2, 11.01 in Pyraminx, and 18.07 in 3x3x3.

The 2x2x2 Cube event produced an electric sprint in the finals, where India's Ram Thakkar captured the title with a blistering 1.75 winning average and a 1.46 best single. Thakkar edged Chai, who took second place at 1.86, while Doherty took third with 1.93. The event saw widespread personal marks, including records from Thakkar, Harris, Liam Wadek, Vira Huang, Kaden Ho, Oscar Bowler, Declan Barnes, Henry Layzell, Adam Chen, and Jacob Burger.

Big cube solving reached its peak in the 5x5x5 Cube, where Brandon Harris demonstrated mastery over the heavier hardware. Harris took the victory with a 1:02.15 average and a stunning best single of 55.37 across two rounds. Chai claimed the runner-up spot with a 1:05.45 average, followed by Liam Wadek in third place at 1:13.06, ensuring a clean sweep of the podium for local contenders.

With 13 podium places staying in New Zealand alongside international triumphs for Ireland and India, Coping in Auckland 2025 provided an exhaustive test of tactical solving and dexterity. As competitors packed away their timers at Drury Hall, the day stood as an inspiring benchmark for the region's cubing community.