Cuenca Open 2024

The brightly lit floor of the Centro Comercial Millenium Plaza was filled with focused intensity on February 3, 2024, as competitors leaned over their timers for a full day of puzzle solving. Timers flashed green and mechanical clicking echoed through the venue as solvers worked through solve after solve. The single-day WCA competition brought together 38 competitors in Cuenca, Ecuador, tackling seven distinct disciplines across 11 rounds of high-stakes play.

The climax of the day arrived in the final round of the 2x2x2 Cube, where the gold medal came down to mere hundredths of a second on the deciding turn. Caleb Salcedo Rivera secured first place with an average of 3.55 seconds, holding off a fierce challenge from Josue Ordonez, who took second place with a 3.77 average. German Daniel Beltran Jarrin completed the podium in third place at 5.02 seconds, concluding a thrilling sprint to the finish.

Salcedo Rivera delivered a commanding overall showing at Cuenca Open 2024, taking home victories across four separate disciplines. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube, where 36 competitors entered the preliminary stage, he led the field through three rounds and captured the title with a winning final average of 9.97 seconds and a best single solve of 9.29 seconds. The 3x3 results saw Sonner Cortez Ojeda take second place with an 11.17 average, while Josue Ordonez earned third place at 11.35 seconds.

Beyond the classic Rubik's Cube, Salcedo Rivera extended his winning run in the larger and specialized twisty puzzles. He topped the 4x4x4 Cube with a 35.42 second average and a single of 33.96, finishing ahead of Ordonez at 49.33 and Jorge Adrian Cambisaca Pillco at 52.78. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Salcedo Rivera clinched another gold with an 18.25 second average, followed by Ordonez at 19.45 and Beltran Jarrin at 29.03.

The competition showcased remarkable personal growth across the field, with several competitors making substantial leaps in their official times. Isaac Rafael Curillo Munoz entered four events and achieved a Skewb personal best of 14.61 seconds, cutting 64.1 percent off his previous mark, and also finished sixth in that event. Pablo Sebastian Flores Peralta tackled five events and dropped his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 57.1 percent to 24.46 seconds, finishing fourth. Joaquin Alejandro Bastidas Tobar took on five disciplines, lowering his Pyraminx personal best by 55.1 percent to 5.85 seconds and posting his first ever official attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 43.62.

First-time experiences and major speed cubing improvements continued down the scoresheet. Glenn Mathias Cansing Macias entered three events, took fifth in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 2.69 seconds that was 37.1 percent faster than before, and tried 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 57.06. Bruno Intriago logged his first official 2x2x2 Cube solve of 5.35 seconds and improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 27.1 percent to 18.09 seconds. Christian Vanegas made his first official attempt at Pyraminx with an 8.26 to finish sixth, while Julio Cesar Mora Orellana made his tournament debut at Cuenca Open 2024, competing in three events including a 7th-place finish in Skewb at 11.64 seconds, alongside Jaime Sari, who completed his first official solves across three disciplines.

The non-cubic events also delivered thrilling contests. In the Pyraminx final, Josue Ordonez claimed the top step of the podium with a winning average of 6.03 seconds and a best single of 4.55. Beltran Jarrin followed in second place with a 7.31 average, and Pablo Alejandro Herrera Verdugo secured third place with an 8.44 average across the two completed rounds.

Moises Ignacio Villena Mejia earned the championship in Skewb, recording a winning average of 5.29 seconds and a tournament-best single of 4.29 seconds to take gold ahead of Ordonez at 7.92 and Salcedo Rivera at 8.52. In Clock, Ronmel Fabian Tenezaca Rios prevailed with a 15.90 average and a best single of 14.29, beating Beltran Jarrin at 17.90 and Ronny Morocho at 28.27.

Every one of the 21 podium positions at the cubing competition was claimed by competitors representing Ecuador, demonstrating the depth of speedcubing talent in the region. With four gold medals for Salcedo Rivera, a Pyraminx victory for Ordonez, and dozens of personal milestones achieved, the successful single-day gathering in Cuenca concluded an exciting chapter for the 2024 season.