Hotel Forum Open 2024

Forty competitors converged on the venue at Hotel Forum on Avenida Ho Chi Minhn in Alvalade for the Hotel Forum Open 2024 on August 24, 2024. Across four official disciplines and seven total rounds, reaching any final stage demanded exceptional precision and consistency. The single-day speedcubing gathering in Luanda, Angola highlighted the growing standard of competitive solving in the region, with packed qualification heats quickly narrowing down the contenders for the podium.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest gathered a field of 38 hopefuls, making it the most heavily contested event of the entire cubing competition. Surviving the opening stage required sharp turn execution before twelve finalists battled for top honors. Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos took the title with a commanding 11.67 winning average, supported by a 11.16 single solve. The final 3x3 results remained tight, as José Carlos Cardoso Borba earned second place with an 11.88 average and Daniel Ginina Vunge secured third place averaging 12.45.

In the 2x2x2 Cube event, 33 competitors battled through two rigorous rounds where margins of error were measured in hundredths of a second. Ariclenes Ebenézer Dias Manuel clinched victory in the final with a 4.65 winning average and a best single of 3.52. Hilton Adolfo Cardoso Batalha took the runner-up spot with an average of 5.16, while Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos added another podium finish to his tally by claiming third place with a 5.25 mark.

The Pyraminx event drew 26 entrants across two rounds of rapid mechanical solving, testing fingertrick fluency on every turn. Daniel Ginina Vunge emerged triumphant with a winning average of 6.66 and the best single of the event at 5.01. Kiary Roque Russo followed in second place with a 7.70 average, while Belarmino Eusébio Chalale wrapped up the top three with an 8.67 result to complete an all-Angola podium sweep.

The specialized 3x3x3 One-Handed event tested 21 entrants in a high-pressure, direct-to-final single round. Competitors manipulating the Rubik's Cube with only one hand faced extreme physical demands and intricate algorithm execution. José Carlos Cardoso Borba captured the victory with a 22.10 average and an event-best single of 20.16. Belarmino Eusébio Chalale claimed second place averaging 23.87, while Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos took third place with a 27.29 average.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several participants delivered massive personal milestones at the Hotel Forum Open 2024. Mikael Akili Cipriano da Silva achieved major breakthroughs across three events, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 6.58 by a 65.7 percent improvement, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best to 24.55 by 64.4 percent, and improving his Pyraminx mark to 11.35. Denilton Emerson Quiteculo Tati finished 4th in Pyraminx, while setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.52 by a 61 percent improvement, a Pyraminx best of 6.66 by 54.2 percent, and a 3x3x3 Cube best of 19.44. Jorge Manuel Batista da Costa logged his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 7.18, his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 9.31, and dropped his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 25.32 by 55.8 percent. Rui Verona Issassa dos Santos cut his Pyraminx personal best to 11.87 by 53.5 percent and lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 6.27.

Newcomers and multi-event contenders made their presence felt across the tournament floor. Joel Evandro Correia Will tackled his first WCA competition, entering three events, taking 6th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a first attempt of 25.31, and recording debut marks of 9.83 on the 2x2x2 Cube and 14.25 on the 3x3x3 Cube. Joaquim Adelino Quintas also marked his first competition, placing 7th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an opening effort of 22.55 alongside debut marks of 6.50 on the 2x2x2 Cube and 16.11 on the 3x3x3 Cube. Valentino Chalale took 4th in 2x2x2 Cube, posted a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with 5.80, and set personal bests of 31.62 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 3.47 in 2x2x2 Cube. Meanwhile, Andelson Paulo Cafurica contested four events, placed 15th in 3x3x3 Cube, registered a first 2x2x2 Cube mark of 5.46, and set personal bests of 11.41 in 3x3x3 Cube and 41.21 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The Hotel Forum Open 2024 concluded with local Angolan competitors earning all twelve available podium spots across the four scheduled disciplines. As speed cubing continues to expand its footprint across the country, the deep fields and fierce rounds in Luanda demonstrated that advancing to finals now requires sharper execution than ever before. With 2024 bringing higher competitive standards, the groundwork is firmly laid for an even more intense upcoming season.