Going Slow in Gibson Park 2024

27 competitors gathered inside the Gibson Park Community Centre as Going Slow in Gibson Park 2024 brought focused action to Perth, Western Australia, Australia on March 9, 2024. The venue offered an intimate space for four specialized disciplines across five rounds of play. Rather than the frantic pace of standard Rubik's Cube sprints, this dedicated speedcubing meet turned the hall into a workshop of deep concentration and complex puzzle mechanics. From massive multidimensional layers to silent paper-based planning, the floor buzzed with determined resolve.

The environment at the Gibson Park Community Centre suited the heavy demands of big-cube solving and strategic calculation. Across the tables, competitors worked through high-friction twists and long algorithmic sequences without distraction. In a calendar year filled with traditional speed cubing tournaments, this specialized WCA competition gave competitors an arena built specifically for stamina, patience, and precise execution under the clock.

China's Anyu Zhang delivered an exceptional display across the larger puzzles, securing a clean sweep of the three big-cube divisions. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Anyu Zhang earned victory across two rounds, recording a winning average of 51.18 and a best single time of 46.07 seconds. Tyler Williams took second place for Australia with a mark of 1:01.46, narrowly edging out fellow Australian Joshua Hounslow, who closed the podium in third at 1:01.70.

Anyu Zhang extended that authority into the 6x6x6 Cube final, claiming gold with a 1:31.41 average and a single attempt of 1:22.57. Singapore's Carmen Teo Bin Jie secured the second step of the podium with a 1:50.70 result, while Joshua Hounslow picked up another top-three placement for Australia with 1:52.35. The masterclass concluded on the 7x7x7 Cube, where Anyu Zhang posted a winning average of 2:09.59 alongside a top single of 2:06.82. Carmen Teo Bin Jie earned silver at 2:39.52, and Australian competitor Alevio Efendi captured bronze with an average of 3:02.65.

Away from the fast-turning speed events, the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest shifted the atmosphere entirely. Competitors spent their allotted time writing solutions move by move, and Joshua Hounslow proved peerless by taking victory with an average of 23.33 moves and a best single of 22. Tyler Williams finished in the runner-up position on 32.33 moves, while Amy Smith rounded out an all-Australian podium with a 33.00 average, giving enthusiasts of 3x3 results a showcase in deliberate efficiency.

Behind the headline finishes, several dedicated competitors produced substantial personal breakthroughs across multiple categories. Lucas Buckley took on four events, completing a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a mark of 49 and logging a first attempt at the 7x7x7 Cube in 5:41.87, alongside a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 3:16.27 that improved upon previous marks by 43.7 percent. Sophia Dumergue entered four events, posting a first attempt of 58 in Fewest Moves and dropping her 6x6x6 Cube personal best by 36.8 percent down to 5:51.32. Jay Wadia also tackled four events, setting a first Fewest Moves mark of 46, a 7x7x7 Cube best of 6:00.55, and a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 2:04.99 that was 19.7 percent faster than before.

That momentum carried across the rest of the field. Aaron Edwards entered four events, posting a personal best single of 39 in his first Fewest Moves challenge to finish fifth overall, while lowering his 5x5x5 Cube personal best to 2:03.60, a 14.4 percent improvement, and his 6x6x6 Cube best to 5:39.15. George Pedigo registered a first Fewest Moves attempt of 49 and a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 2:54.79, improving by 7.7 percent. Lachlan Manson entered four events, recording a first Fewest Moves mark of 51 and taking 7.6 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube time at 3:25.35. Xavier Hurst tackled four events, recording a first Fewest Moves effort of 53 and a 3:05.98 mark on the 6x6x6 Cube, while Aadi Balaji secured an 8.5 percent drop on the 5x5x5 Cube to reach 2:50.30.

In total, the competition distributed podium honors across three nations, with Australian athletes claiming seven top-three finishes, China taking three, and Singapore securing two. The collective focus required for big cubes and slow-solve strategy made Going Slow in Gibson Park 2024 a distinct chapter in the regional season, showcasing the full breadth of discipline in modern cubing competition.