Hampshire Winter 2025

Louis de Mendonça delivered a masterclass in single-handed execution at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, logging an exceptional 11.22 winning average to claim victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Solving the puzzle with one hand requires immense fingertable dexterity, distinct turning angles, and specialized algorithm sets that separate the discipline from standard events. Across two rounds among 73 contenders, de Mendonça produced a best single of 10.22 to build a massive gap over the field. Danny Morgan secured second place with an average of 14.99, while Ben Stokes took third with 15.14.

The one-handed contest was one of several highlights throughout the weekend at Hampshire Winter 2025, which drew 133 competitors to Eastleigh, Hampshire, United Kingdom on February 22 and February 23. Over two days of action in 2025, the gathering staged 17 rounds across 8 distinct events. The tournament provided a complete showcase of classic twisty puzzles and modern variations, challenging participants across speed, endurance, and memory disciplines.

In the classic Rubik's Cube category, Ryan Chan of Hong Kong paced a deep field of 124 competitors across three full rounds of action. Chan claimed first place with a crisp winning average of 7.62, bolstered by a best single time of 6.19. Felix Hincks took the runner-up position on the podium with a 7.83 average, while Danny Morgan grabbed third place in 8.04. The official 3x3 results underlined the exceptional depth across the top tables as finalists traded sub-eight-second times.

Shorter formats yielded similarly explosive speed cubing benchmarks, led by Max Tully in the 2x2x2 Cube. Tully captured the title with a swift 1.36 average, highlighted by a 1.01 best single. Harry Allen followed closely behind in second with a 1.66 average, edging out Danny Morgan, who finished third with 1.71. Morgan enjoyed an extraordinarily prolific weekend overall, picking up podiums across four separate disciplines, including victories in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 49.72 average and Clock with a 3.27 average.

Beyond the podium battles, the floor of this cubing competition saw remarkable personal milestones across multiple events. Liam Pintat took on six events, securing a best finish of 4th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:06.96, and shaving 65.9 percent off his blindfolded personal best to hit 32.45 along with an 11.7 percent improvement in 5x5x5 Cube down to 1:12.94. Emma Pintat entered six events, tackling her first ever attempt at Clock in 14.28 while cutting her Megaminx personal best by 38.6 percent to 1:11.99. Mezon Gurung competed in eight events, achieving a best finish of 14th in Multi-Blind, a 58.9 percent personal best drop in 2x2x2 Cube down to 1.36, and an 18.4 percent cut in 5x5x5 Cube to 1:38.15. King Long Wong took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:10.70 alongside a 45.9 percent drop in 3x3x3 Cube to 19.69.

Progress continued throughout the roster as athletes tested new puzzles and raised their competitive standards. Caleb Joshua Thomas competed across six events, posting a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:35.75, an initial Megaminx attempt of 2:02.94, and a 10.2 percent improvement in One-Handed to 23.65. Cliff Lam took on eight events, logging a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 1:29.35 and an 18.16 personal best in One-Handed. Magnus Watson entered six events, earning a best finish of 13th in 2x2x2 Cube while cutting his mark by 41.9 percent to 1.58 and improving his Clock best by 25.6 percent to 7.67. Callum Inglis entered seven events, securing a 14th place finish in Multi-Blind while dropping his blindfolded personal best by 53.9 percent to 2:19.87.

In the complex geometry of the Megaminx, Sophie Gilbert emerged victorious from a field of 72 competitors with an average of 43.62 and a single of 39.78. Finley Norris claimed the second podium step with an average of 43.97, followed by Oliver Richards in third at 44.69. Clock action saw Sam Shaw take second place with a 4.81 average, while Jimi Naysmith completed the podium in third at 5.15 behind Morgan's dominant 3.27 performance.

The memory events closed out the weekend with world-class demonstrations of concentration and blindfolded puzzle solving. Mengfei Shen won the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event by successfully resolving 29 out of 37 cubes in exactly 1:00:00, with Jake Brown taking second on 17/19 in 59:56 and Ben Stokes finishing third on 18/21 in 1:00:00. Stokes had earlier claimed victory in the standard 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, posting a winning single of 20.22 to finish ahead of Shen in 24.68 and Adam Devere in 25.75.

With 21 podium finishes secured by United Kingdom competitors, two by China, and one by Hong Kong, this WCA competition concluded with strong technical performances across all disciplines. From the demanding single-hand control of de Mendonça to the broad dominance displayed by multi-event finalists, the weekend in Eastleigh reinforced the healthy state of competitive speedcubing.