Grido Cubea 2023

Thirty competitors gathered in Asunción, Paraguay, on August 26, 2023, turning four focused rounds of puzzle action into a showcase of rapid personal development. Grido Cubea 2023 featured a tight two-event program of classic 3x3x3 Cube and fast-paced 2x2x2 Cube challenges. The compact schedule allowed speedcubing talent to put maximum energy into every solve at the Grido Loma Pyta venue, generating a dense list of newly recorded benchmark times and personal achievements across the board.

The 2x2x2 Cube event served as a major engine for the weekend record list, as competitors traded standout marks across both rounds of competition. Martin Alejandro Benítez López established a single of 2.21 seconds and an average of 3.86 seconds, matching the 3.86 average set by Misael Alexander Mancuello Ayala. Mancuello Ayala also delivered a notable 2.73 single, while Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto logged a 2.74 single alongside a 4.11 average, demonstrating how narrow the margins were at the front of the pack.

Down through the field in the two-by-two bracket, fresh personal benchmarks continued to register on the official ledger. Elias Miguel Acosta Acosta recorded a 5.31 single and 5.79 average, while Oliver Richard Zoilan Avalos turned in a 4.89 single and 5.88 average. Carlos Benjamin Mereles Martinez secured marks of 4.65 single and 6.38 average, Jorge Sol added a 5.91 single and 7.17 average, and Angel Daniel Gonzalez Gonzalez achieved a 7.07 single with an 8.06 average.

The 2x2x2 Cube final saw Martin Alejandro Benítez López seize the top step of the podium with a winning average of 2.92 seconds, accompanied by a rapid 1.95 best single. Misael Alexander Mancuello Ayala secured second place with an average of 3.88 seconds, and Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto completed the podium sweep for Paraguay in third place with a 4.18 mark. The event demonstrated the intense precision required over just five quick solves.

Santino Osvaldo Camps Torres produced one of the most remarkable breakthroughs of the weekend, lowering his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 43.08 seconds, an improvement of 78.1 percent over his previous 3:16.39 mark. Kevin Emanuel Benítez Fretes improved his Rubik's Cube best by 25.6 percent with a 49.07 time and tackled his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 16.20 finish. Hermes López dropped his two-by-two personal record by 32.7 percent down to 6.27 seconds, while Angel Daniel Gonzalez Gonzalez logged a 6.55 on his first two-by-two attempt and cut 48.3 percent off his three-by-three best to record 15.88 seconds.

Caio Valentino Da Silva Rodas also found substantial pace, shaving 22.4 percent off his two-by-two record with a 5.21 effort. Carlos Benjamin Mereles Martinez advanced his personal best in the same event to 3.31 seconds, an improvement of 12.4 percent that carried him to a 5th place finish. First-time competitors made an immediate impact, as Rogelio José Gasparini Crosa made his debut at a WCA competition with a 16.17 on the 3x3x3 Cube and a 5.06 on the 2x2x2 Cube to finish 6th in the main event. Agustin Espinoza Zanon marked his first official tournament appearance with initial attempts of 34.86 in 3x3x3 and 10.85 in 2x2x2.

The headline 3x3x3 Cube event drew all 30 entrants through two intense rounds of speed cubing to decide the champion. Kenji Julián Cáceres Matsumoto captured first place with a composed 10.19 winning average, backed by the round's best single of 8.31 seconds. Martin Alejandro Benítez López pushed the leader to the absolute limit, finishing just three hundredths of a second behind with a 10.22 average to claim second place. Dary Leandro Wladimir Cano Galeano took third on the podium with an 11.78 average.

The final 3x3 results capped a dominant showing by local cubers, with all six podium spots across both events claimed by competitors from Paraguay. Grido Cubea 2023 demonstrated the strength of the regional community, providing seasoned competitors and newcomers alike with a high-energy platform to test their skills. As the 2023 competitive calendar progresses, the marks set in Asunción establish a strong baseline of momentum heading into the upcoming season of tournament play.