Gem City Airplane Mode Special IV OH 2024

Nineteen competitors gathered in Springboro, Ohio, USA on December 15, 2024, for a packed day of specialist speedcubing disciplines. Staged at a private residence, Gem City Airplane Mode Special IV OH 2024 brought together some of the most dedicated solvers in the region across five distinct events spanning nine rounds. The compact setting provided a focused atmosphere for high-level solving, testing speed, foresight, and memory in equal measure throughout the one-day WCA competition.

Stanley Chapel delivered a commanding performance on home turf, securing three championship victories across the blindfolded events. Chapel topped the standings in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, posting a decisive winning average of 21.70 seconds alongside an event-best single of 17.01 in the final round. Across earlier rounds, Chapel put up a single solve of 16.64 seconds. Fellow American Luke Garrett claimed second place with an average of 41.63 seconds, while Evan Brown finished third with an average of 1:19.60.

Chapel extended his masterclass into the larger blindfolded puzzles, which require solving complex mechanisms entirely without sight after a brief memorisation phase. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event, Chapel took first place with a single solve of 1:14.91, outpacing Garrett, who earned silver in 4:30.54, and Wesley Barwinski, who completed the podium in 6:18.69. Chapel followed with another gold in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, recording a winning single of 2:11.34 to finish ahead of Justin Sui at 17:00.00 and Luke Van Laningham at 19:43.00.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves challenge delivered an equally intense tactical battle where competitors searched for the shortest sequence of turns to solve the classic Rubik's Cube. Evan Brown earned the title with a winning average of 23.33 moves and a standout single of 21 moves. Chapel secured second place with an average of 24.33, while Garrett reached another podium step with an average of 28.33 moves in the single-round contest.

In the Square-1 event, Jacob Dyland Bennett emerged victorious across three competitive rounds. Bennett claimed first place with a winning average of 8.25 seconds and logged a fast single of 6.52 seconds. Chapel proved his all-around ability by claiming silver with an average of 10.84 seconds, and Garrett rounded out the podium positions with an average of 11.19 seconds, keeping the contest tight at the top of the standings.

Away from the podium places, several competitors marked significant personal milestones across the schedule at Gem City Airplane Mode Special IV OH 2024. Rafael Sultanaliev achieved a substantial breakthrough by recording a 42.1 percent personal best improvement in Square-1 with an 18.77-second result, dropping down from 32.40, while also setting a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 35 moves and tackling his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:48.79 single. Elliott Perkins achieved a massive 43.7 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, dropping his personal best to 1:43.52 from 3:03.82, while securing fourth place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Zach Baruch took eighth in 4x4x4 Blindfolded, setting a personal best of 14:19.00 that was 32.6 percent faster than his prior 21:15.00 mark.

Other solvers took on new challenges and set substantial marks across the day. Lucas Stambaugh made his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a count of 38 to place seventh, while also cutting his Square-1 personal best by 17.8 percent down to 16.22 seconds. Luke Pearson logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a result of 44 to finish 15th. Abhimanyu Singhal tackled four events, taking seventh in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a personal best of 11:47.00, which was 7.3 percent faster than his previous mark. Emery McFeeter placed fifth in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, and Braden Richards took fourth in Square-1 after entering three events.

The gathering showcased the depth and technical variety of modern speed cubing, highlighting the analytical depth needed for fewest moves solving and the intense concentration demanded by blindfolded events. With every medal earned by competitors from the United States, Gem City Airplane Mode Special IV OH 2024 served as a standout showcase of regional skill and determined solving to close out the 2024 season.