Hampshire Spring 2023

The sports hall at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College hummed with non-stop turning and the sharp snap of timers as 134 competitors gathered across May 27 and May 28. Every table stayed active through 21 rounds of play, testing endurance and concentration across 10 official events. With large brackets and narrow qualification cutoffs, advancing through the weekend required absolute precision from the opening solve. This bustling cubing competition in Eastleigh, Hampshire, United Kingdom proved just how deep the field of modern speedcubing has become in 2023.

Nowhere was that pressure felt more than in the flagship Rubik's Cube bracket, where 126 competitors battled through three rounds for a spot at the final table. James Alonso delivered an exceptional performance to take the title, posting a winning average of 6.54 seconds alongside the tournament best single of 5.43. Chris Mills kept the contest fiercely competitive, securing second place with an average of 7.03 seconds. Harry Savage completed the 3x3x3 Cube podium in third place with a mark of 7.71, capping off a remarkable display of 3x3 results against a massive field.

The short-format events demanded flawless execution, leaving no room for a slow start. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Ben Stokes navigated three rounds against 97 entrants to secure victory with an average of 2.11 seconds and a best single of 1.62. James Alonso followed closely in second place with an average of 2.23, while Fabio Schwandt took third on 2.41. In Pyraminx, Daniel Partridge topped a field of 97 solvers across two rounds, claiming first place with a rapid 1.57 average and a 1.29 single, ahead of Edward Burgess on 1.80 and Jason Harley on 2.13.

Daniel Partridge also excelled on the big cubes, capturing the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 57.28 seconds and a single of 55.29. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Chris Mills showed command of the hardware across two rounds, taking the win with a 29.12 average and a single of 26.65, ahead of Fabio Schwandt at 33.09 and Partridge at 34.53. Megaminx saw Aidan Grainger rise to the top of a 39-competitor field, logging a 34.14 average and a 32.74 single to seal the win over two competitive rounds.

The one-handed and blindfolded disciplines showcased specialised skill sets under demanding conditions. Joseph Briggs earned the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with an average of 11.84 seconds, edging Chris Mills on 12.40 and James Alonso on 13.66. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where memorisation and execution must balance perfectly, Ben Stokes won three rounds with an average of 20.36 seconds and a 19.16 single. Ashwyn Wadhawan swept the large blindfolded events, winning the 4x4x4 Blindfolded with an 8:08.69 average and the 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a 15:15.00 average, followed closely by Oliver Wheat and Harry Savage in both contests.

Away from the podiums, the weekend saw enormous personal milestones across every tier of the standings. Ruben da Costa made a major leap in the 2x2x2 Cube, setting a personal best of 2.83 seconds, which was 77 percent faster than his prior mark, alongside a 24.8 percent improvement in 5x5x5 Cube to 1:44.78 and a first attempt at Pyraminx in 6.23. Christopher Nassif improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 61.3 percent down to 25.19 seconds, cut his 2x2x2 Cube best by 42.9 percent to 9.56, and recorded a first Megaminx result of 2:57.89. Harry Capper dropped his Pyraminx personal best by 61.2 percent to 4.39 seconds while taking his first official turns at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 56.81 and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:58.26. Yousif Abdelaal-Wait tackled nine events, trimming his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 38.9 percent to 1:07.30 and completing a first 4x4x4 Blindfolded attempt in 8:57.99.

That drive was shared across the venue as competitors expanded their repertoires at Hampshire Spring 2023. Phoenix Stevens entered seven events, taking a first attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:14.29 while lowering his Pyraminx best by 35.3 percent to 5.64 and Megaminx by 24.6 percent to 1:21.34. George Coombes chopped 31.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 10.76 single and logged first tries in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:54.47 and 2x2x2 Cube at 4.40. Ewan Read notched a 28.7 percent personal best of 5.04 in 2x2x2 Cube alongside first attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:01.59 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:48.40. Samuel de Jongh stepped up for six events, recording first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 4.35, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:07.56, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:47.19.

With thirty podium places claimed by United Kingdom competitors across ten disciplines, the event demonstrated the immense standard required to reach the final rounds. From the fastest solves to personal breakthroughs across new puzzles, Hampshire Spring 2023 delivered a memorable showcase of modern speed cubing talent. Every round tested mental resilience, leaving the field ready to reset and prepare for the next season of WCA competition.