Cotacachi Cube 2024

A thrilling 11.74-second average on the Rubik's Cube propelled Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon to the top of the standings at Cotacachi Cube 2024, capping off a remarkable display of rapid development on June 8, 2024. Staged at Paseo Artesanal San Francisco - 2do piso in Cotacachi, Ecuador, the one-day gathering brought together 26 competitors across 8 events and 11 rounds. The tournament showcased the sheer pace at which emerging talent is advancing, setting high benchmarks across multiple formats and proving that the regional speedcubing circuit is progressing at a blistering rate throughout the 2024 season.

Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon proved to be the standout performer of the competition, securing a triple crown of titles. Alongside his victory in the premier event, he claimed first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with an exceptional 3.35 average, bolstered by a 2.53 single. Herrera Manangon added a third gold in the Pyraminx, averaging 6.74 seconds across the round to edge out Juan Pablo Suárez Narváez, who took second with a 7.00 average. His versatility across diverse mechanical puzzles set the standard for the entire meet.

In the headline 3x3 results, the competition was intensely contested across three full rounds of solving. Santiago David Ulcuango Romero secured the runner-up spot behind Herrera Manangon with a solid 12.51 average, while Juan Pablo Suárez Narváez claimed the third podium position with a mark of 12.65. The 2x2x2 Cube podium followed a similar pattern of high-speed execution, with Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas taking second place with a 4.56 average and Suárez Narváez stepping onto another podium in third place at 4.70.

Santiago David Ulcuango Romero demonstrated superb technical mastery in the more specialized categories, earning two titles of his own. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Ulcuango Romero led the field with a winning average of 44.65 seconds, holding off Suárez Narváez, who finished second at 46.26, and Aldás Cuestas in third at 46.71. Ulcuango Romero followed that triumph with another first-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed, where his 22.52 winning average separated him from silver medalist Germán Daniel Beltrán Jarrín at 24.73 and bronze medalist Aldás Cuestas at 25.32.

The remaining brackets delivered plenty of drama across short-format and memory-intensive disciplines. Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas took top honours in Clock with a 9.81 average, besting Jean Carlos Echeverría Jácome at 12.45 and Lady Mikaela Tapie Meneses at 12.93. Aldás Cuestas also captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title, an event requiring pure memorisation before execution, posting a winning average of 1:33.89. In Skewb, Juan Pablo Suárez Narváez claimed victory with a 5.16 average, finishing ahead of Aldás Cuestas at 5.95 and Fabrizzio Alejandro Peñafiel Mena at 7.19.

Beyond the trophy battles, this cubing competition served as a launchpad for several competitors making tremendous statistical leaps. Williams Catota made enormous strides in the 2x2x2 Cube, logging a personal best of 8.43 seconds that improved upon his previous best by 38.9 percent. Juan Andrés Reyes Espinoza showed massive growth in 3x3x3 One-Handed, cutting 32.4 percent off his prior benchmark to set a new personal best of 30.13 while also finishing fourth in Pyraminx. Mayki Santiago Ramos Cevallos dropped his 2x2x2 Cube best to 6.60, a 29.1 percent improvement, and Marco Fabián Yepez Lima delivered a 19.9 percent cut to his 3x3x3 Cube personal best with a time of 27.82 alongside his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with an 8.55 single.

The floor was equally energized by competitors taking on new challenges for the very first time. Erick David Carlozama Chávez registered an 11th-place finish in Pyraminx with a first ever attempt of 34.40, alongside his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 30.40 and a 17.2 percent improvement in the 3x3x3 Cube to 1:34.22. David Alejandro Ibarra Marin secured fifth in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a personal best of 22.89, cutting his old mark by 13.3 percent while also taking 11.5 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best at 12.65. Newcomer Mateo David Vergara Baño stepped into his first WCA competition, recording initial marks of 8.98 in 2x2x2 Cube, 19.83 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 12.54 in Pyraminx for a 10th-place finish. Fellow debutant Daniel Nicolas Guerra Castillo took 10th in 2x2x2 Cube with a first attempt of 3.87 alongside an 18.24 in the main event.

All 24 podium positions were claimed by competitors representing Ecuador, demonstrating the depth of dedication within the local community. The gathering highlighted how speed cubing continues to flourish, with experienced finalists and energetic newcomers pushing their limits in every event. From rapid one-handed turning to complex memory puzzles, the action at Cotacachi Cube 2024 proved that the country's solving scene has a vibrant foundation for the seasons ahead.