High Gate Irbid 2023

Fifty-one competitors stepped up to the tables in Irbid, Jordan on July 8, 2023, turning High Gate Irbid 2023 into a dynamic showcase of rapid progress. Across nine intense rounds in six official disciplines, a burgeoning wave of youth talent proved how quickly dedicated practice translates into stage results. The one-day cubing competition hosted at High Gate Academy featured everything from the standard puzzle to specialty events, delivering fierce battles atop the standings while elevating the general standard of speedcubing across the region.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a tournament-high 50 solvers across three rounds of high-pressure solving. Kamel Hammouri took the ultimate title with a winning average of 9.67 seconds, bolstered by a sharp 8.58 single. Zakarya Otair challenged closely to secure second place with a 10.26 average, while Palestine's Mohammad Ahmad Abu Hussein claimed the third podium position at 11.59. The official 3x3 results confirmed how competitive the bracket has become, with sub-10 second speed cubing setting the pace at the very top.

Hammouri enjoyed an outstanding afternoon overall, capturing three separate victories throughout the meet. In the 2x2x2 Cube, which featured 43 competitors over two rounds, he sealed first place with a 3.61 average, having also produced a 2.60 single and a 3.51 average earlier in the rounds. Abdallah Almaharmeh finished as runner-up on a 4.10 mark, followed by Albara Mahmoad Shanna'a in third at 4.39. Hammouri added his third gold in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, averaging 19.10 to outpace Otair's 19.62 and Abu Hussein's 21.70.

Zakarya Otair asserted his own dominance in the larger and alternate formats, securing a pair of gold medals. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Otair put together a winning average of 38.88 seconds, backed by the day's fastest single at 35.49. Abu Hussein followed in second place with a 40.61 average, while Hammouri rounded out the podium at 47.80. Otair struck again in Pyraminx, posting an average of 6.28 to narrowly beat Abu Hussein's 6.36 and Hammouri's 7.03 across a 29-solver field.

The Skewb contest provided another exciting finish to close out the event roster, won by Abdallah Almaharmeh with a 5.80 average and a single of 4.75 across 18 entrants. Abu Hussein earned another silver medal with a 7.71 average, while Otair collected bronze at 8.15. Across all six podiums, Jordanian competitors secured 13 top-three positions while Palestinian solvers collected five, illustrating the deep regional talent that convened for this WCA competition.

Beyond the podium battles, the true heartbeat of the gathering emerged through the remarkable personal milestones recorded across the venue floor. Joody Hammouri produced one of the weekend's biggest leaps, slicing 58.3 percent off a previous mark with a 2x2x2 personal best of 3.84 seconds, while also making first career attempts in Pyraminx with an 11.80 and the 4x4x4 with a 1:41.40. Abdalaziz Amjad Tahtamouni also logged massive drops, improving by 54.7 percent on 2x2x2 with an 8.35 single and dropping his Rubik's Cube best by 46 percent down to 20.29. Rashed Atef Alreajbeh cut his 3x3x3 mark nearly in half with a 17.46 single, representing a 49.8 percent improvement alongside a first attempt of 1:27.00 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Adam Zeidan made first attempts in Pyraminx with a 14.06 and One-Handed with a 35.14, while lowering his 2x2x2 best by 49.3 percent to 3.77.

Fresh faces stepping onto the official floor for the first time showed tremendous ambition by taking on extensive event schedules. Hamzah Baareh tackled all six disciplines in his first tournament appearance, recording a first attempt of 4.94 in 2x2x2, a 56.55 in One-Handed, and placing ninth in Skewb with a 7.88 first try. Rawad Aloqaily also made his official debut across six events, posting an 18.78 in the classic 3x3x3, a 56.41 in One-Handed, and taking seventh in Pyraminx. Ahmad Sameh AlAssi entered all six events at his first meet, reaching eighth place in 4x4x4 while logging a 2.74 first attempt in 2x2x2 and a 13.26 single in 3x3x3. Qosai Hamdan completed a packed debut in six events by finishing fourth in 2x2x2, recording an 11.25 first attempt in Pyraminx and a 1:44.55 in the 4x4x4.

The single-day schedule at High Gate Irbid 2023 compressed tremendous excitement into a compact timeframe, highlighting both established champions and emerging newcomers. With competitors dropping personal bests by massive margins and newcomers bravely tackling multiple complex puzzles, the event demonstrated a bright trajectory for competitive cubing in the region heading into the next season.