Glasgow Favourites Evening I 2024

Inside the Learning and Teaching Building at Strathclyde University, the sharp snap of plastic puzzle mechanisms and the steady chime of digital timers filled the hall as a compact gathering of solvers took their stations. The single-day schedule brought together 38 competitors ready to tackle a diverse spread of disciplines, moving efficiently through 11 different events. Across the tables, participants prepared their hardware for an evening of focused speed cubing, setting a determined rhythm for the opening rounds.

The standout performer of Glasgow Favourites Evening I 2024 was undoubtedly Max Kwok U Sam, who stamped his authority across multiple disciplines with three separate event victories. Max Kwok U Sam secured top honours in the 5x5x5 Cube with a winning average of 56.32 and a leading single solve of 55.31. He extended his dominance into the larger puzzles by capturing the 6x6x6 Cube title with a 1:52.03 average, finishing well clear of Christopher Kilgallon who averaged 2:09.22, and Bella Campbell who placed third with 2:16.57. To cap off his commanding run, Max Kwok U Sam also claimed first place in Pyraminx, registering a decisive winning average of 4.24 and a best single of 3.64.

Johnny Morello Kerlaff produced an equally sharp multi-event showcase, seizing victory in both two-handed sprinting and one-handed control. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Morello Kerlaff topped a field of 17 competitors with a 2.39 winning average, edging out Nicky Sim at 2.52 and Bella Campbell at 2.79. He followed that up in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming the top spot with a 13.33 average ahead of Abhijeet Ghodgaonkar at 19.46 and Hazel Hughes at 21.31, underscoring the high technical standard across this WCA competition.

The larger puzzles and side events delivered tight contests throughout the session. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Christopher Kilgallon took the gold with an average of 3:24.67, leading Fred Lang who finished on 4:17.95 and Shiraz Malik on 4:56.78. Lang rebounded in spectacular fashion during Megaminx, winning the event with an average of 46.39. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Michal J. Sekulski captured victory with an average of 37.61, besting Hughes at 43.21 and Ghodgaonkar at 43.58. Sam Jones clinched the Skewb crown with a 3.99 average, while Ryan Eckersley took Square-1 in 9.27, and Nicky Sim claimed the Clock title with a 4.79 mark.

Beyond the podiums, the official results sheets revealed immense strides across the roster. Kai McLean registered the largest single margin of improvement of the evening, clocking a personal best of 23.21 in Square-1 to finish 36.3 percent faster than before. Daniel Kidd attacked three disciplines, logging his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a mark of 2:38.58 while setting a Skewb personal best of 6.03, an improvement of 33.4 percent, alongside a 43.71 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube. Luke Rigg posted a 7.12 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube that stood 32.4 percent faster than previous efforts, took on Skewb for the first time with a 21.67, and secured a best finish of ninth in Pyraminx.

Other competitors delivered substantial personal breakthroughs in Glasgow, City of Glasgow, United Kingdom on October 1, 2024. Caty Langa shaved 30.7 percent off her 2x2x2 Cube benchmark with a 4.37 personal best, while Theo Leyton lowered his Megaminx standard by 28.9 percent to 1:58.39. Arran Berry Simpson tackled three events, making a first ever attempt at Skewb with 14.19 and improving his Pyraminx personal best by 26.9 percent to 10.87. Debutants also made their mark, as Cameron Hunter-Wheeler contested three events at their first WCA competition with a best finish of fifth in Skewb, and Raphael Carrozza logged his first attempts at Pyraminx and Skewb, earning fourth in Pyraminx.

The evening served as a reminder of the depth in regional speedcubing, where classic Rubik's Cube variants and complex polyhedral puzzles require exact dexterity and calculation under time pressure. From rapid short solves to the endurance required for the 7x7x7 Cube, the competitors navigated a demanding 11-event slate without pause. While traditional 3x3 results often command the spotlight at larger gatherings, the breadth of events here rewarded versatile solvers who could transition seamlessly between mechanical formats.

When the final timers were cleared, Glasgow Favourites Evening I 2024 wrapped as an intense, successful showcase of technical skill. The host nation led the medal table with 23 podium places, complemented by strong international representations from Macau, Australia, India, and Poland. With sharp personal milestones recorded across every table, the 38 competitors completed an exacting single-round program that set a high benchmark for the upcoming regional calendar in 2024.