Cubing in Wollondilly 2024

A blistering 1.91-second winning average on Pyraminx by Sebastian Lee set the gold standard in Tahmoor, New South Wales, Australia, on August 31, 2024. The single-day tournament brought together 75 competitors at Wollondilly Anglican College across five separate disciplines and ten rounds of high-pressure solving. While elite specialists traded world-class marks at the top of the standings, the day was equally defined by an influx of newcomers stepping up to the timer for the very first time.

Cubing in Wollondilly 2024 proved to be an ideal stage for speedcubing newcomers, as a substantial wave of competitors chose this WCA competition to make their official tournament debuts. Across every bracket, from standard 3x3 results to fast-paced side puzzles, fresh entrants tested their skills under official conditions. The gathering offered a balanced spread of disciplines, giving both seasoned finalists and complete newcomers a chance to record official marks in an energetic community setting.

At the summit of the marquee Rubik's Cube event, Bryan Eng took top honours by securing a 7.71 winning average across three rounds of competition. Eng turned in the best single solve of the entire 3x3x3 Cube contest with a swift 5.06, outpacing 70 other solvers in the largest field of the day. Liam Highducheck finished runner-up with an 8.19 average, while Joshua Almanza completed the podium in third place with an 8.86 average.

Eng also added a second gold medal to his tally in the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a field of 64 competitors with a 2.13 average and a best single of 1.52. Jad Smith followed in second place with a 2.51 average, while Lee secured third with a 3.00 average. In the earlier rounds of the event, both Lee and Eng posted blisteringly fast sub-two averages of 1.67 and 1.83 respectively, demonstrating the exceptional depth present in the short-format brackets.

Behind the top podium spots, the real character of the gathering emerged through individual milestones and personal breakthroughs. Thanh Duong achieved one of the most striking leaps of the day, cutting down a previous 2x2x2 Cube mark by 54 percent with a new 7.32 personal best. Jerome Walker tackled five events, finishing 26th in Clock, attempting Skewb for the first time with a 13.63, trying Clock for the first time with a 19.11, and improving his 2x2x2 Cube best by 37.6 percent to 5.52. Jesse O'Neill also took on five events, placing 27th in Clock, delivering first attempts in Pyraminx at 8.42 and Clock at 21.19, and shaving 26.4 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best to reach 26.69. Bill Norman entered three events, logging a 40th-place finish and a first Clock mark of 1:03.66 while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best by 37.9 percent to 14.69.

The surge of new contenders continued across the remaining events. Liam Cancellier entered three disciplines, making first official attempts at Pyraminx with a 7.74 and 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.65, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best by 12.8 percent down to 14.50. Meanwhile, Micah Bertram attended their first WCA competition, tackling four events and recording first-ever attempts of 10.65 in Pyraminx, 7.95 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 17.01 in Skewb. Xavier Blackhall likewise made their official speed cubing debut across four events, finishing 35th in Clock with a 42.62, while posting initial marks of 43.41 on 3x3x3 Cube and 15.30 on Skewb. Lucas Pierce also contested their first tournament, logging opening career results of 37.76 on 3x3x3 Cube, 12.17 on Pyraminx, and 6.16 on 2x2x2 Cube.

In the specialty categories, Thomas Tinlin captured the Skewb crown with an authoritative 2.95 winning average, also recording the round's best single of 2.32 across 48 competitors. Oscar Liang took second place with a 4.57 average, narrowly edging out James Kirschner, who posted a 4.64 average to seal third. The 10 rounds of competition concluded without a drop in intensity, showing the varied technical demands that define modern tournament formats.

The single-round Clock event saw Jason Panagiotidis triumph over 42 other entrants, recording a winning average of 4.76 and a best single solve of 4.29. Elias Chong finished second with a 5.69 average, and Lee claimed another podium place by taking third with a 6.50. Pyraminx rounded out the podium honours for the region as Lee took first with his 1.91 average, followed by Eng in second at 3.47 and Liam Sawade in third at 3.48.

As the final timers stopped, Australia had swept all 15 podium positions across the five featured formats. Cubing in Wollondilly 2024 captured the vibrant momentum of local competition, balancing title wins with a wave of newcomers finding their footing on the official stage. With dozens of solvers logging foundational marks, the Tahmoor event proved that the future of regional cubing is expanding rapidly as another season approaches.