Edinburgh Winter 2024

Nicholas Archer delivered the weekend's defining performance at Meadowbank Sports Centre by capturing the 3x3x3 Cube title with a blistering 6.73 winning average and a 5.94 best single. The four-round structure tested stamina across 172 entrants, rewarding those who maintained consistency from the opening heats through to the eight-person final. The championship unfolded over January 27 to January 28 in Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, bringing together 174 competitors across nine distinct disciplines. Across twenty total rounds, advancement cutoffs placed high demands on every solve.

The 2024 cubing competition schedule tested athletes across multiple disciplines, with Archer securing a second victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Navigating two rounds of 95 competitors, he clinched top spot with a 9.40 final average and an 8.69 single. Johnny Morello Kerlaff earned second place at 13.56, while Max Kwok U Sam rounded out the podium in 15.08. The one-handed format gave solvers little margin for error, highlighting Archer's precision throughout the elimination stages.

Cham J. Chambers established absolute dominance in the big cube categories, taking gold in both 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 Cube. Running in direct final formats where every turn mattered, Chambers claimed the 6x6x6 title with an average of 1:44.64 ahead of Adam Black and Glib Vedmid. In the 7x7x7 division, Chambers topped the 45-person field with a 2:37.46 average, followed by Black and Vedmid. Chambers also secured victory in Clock, averaging 4.24 over two rounds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event spanned three demanding rounds for 131 entrants, culminating in a triumph for Jaye Sloan with a 1.87 winning average. Jensen Belen-Brown pushed hard to take second place with a 2.10 mark, while Archer added another medal to his tally with a 2.36 average for third. Sloan doubled their golden haul in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, claiming the victory with an 18.18 single solve across two rounds where mental discipline was paramount.

In Pyraminx, Tan Jun navigated three rounds of 131 competitors to take first place with a 3.32 average, edging out Adam Black at 3.67 and Liam Stuart Ferreira at 3.80. Meanwhile, Square-1 required sharp tactical control through its two rounds, where Ryan Eckersley came out on top with a 9.34 average. Eleanor Sinnott took the silver spot with a 13.33 average, while Teh Zhe Wen secured third with 14.05 in a tightly contested bracket.

Beyond the championship podiums, Edinburgh Winter 2024 provided a stage for breakthrough milestones across the broader roster. Oliver Aonghas Robinson tackled seven events, slicing his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best down to 32.24 seconds, which was 59.5% faster than his previous mark, while making his first ever attempts at 6x6x6 Cube with 4:45.20 and Square-1 with 31.64. Seth Malachy Wilson Paterson chopped 56.6% off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to record a 2.75, alongside his first ever attempt at Clock in 11.79. Keilan Kerr made a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 44.47 and improved his Pyraminx personal best to 4.54, which was 42.7% faster than before. Rhys Paterson knocked 48.5% off his 2x2x2 Cube record with a 4.68 single and made his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:26.85.

The progress continued across various events as Gerard Trinio entered eight disciplines, logging a seventeenth-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a first ever attempt of 16.91, alongside a first Clock attempt of 11.09. Alexander Tweedie recorded his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.49 and a first Pyraminx solve of 8.92. Miguel Malley Ocholloh improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 20.85, a mark 38.7% faster than his prior time, while Thea Lancaster cut 35.9% off her 3x3x3 Cube mark to reach 24.24 and logged a first ever attempt at Clock in 32.79.

The official 3x3 results at the top of the standings reflected an exceptional standard of execution across the full four rounds. Alisher Kurmash delivered steady averages to earn second place behind Archer with a 7.91, while Chambers took third on the podium with an 8.29. The classic Rubik's Cube final stood as the culmination of an intense schedule where consistency over multiple stages proved decisive.

The successful execution of the event showcased the vibrancy of speedcubing across Scotland, drawing 174 participants to Meadowbank Sports Centre for two days of top-tier speed cubing action. Hosted as a premier WCA competition, Edinburgh Winter 2024 demonstrated how multi-round elimination formats reward adaptability and poise under pressure. With athletes achieving major personal milestones across nine events, the gathering reinforced the depth of talent competing in the region.