Liceo Salvadoreño Open 2023

0.45 seconds was all that separated the top two spots in the premier event of the weekend, setting the tone for an intense day of competition. Held at Liceo Salvadoreño in San Salvador, El Salvador on July 22, the Liceo Salvadoreño Open 2023 gathered 26 competitors across four events and four single-round shootouts. With no second chances or multi-round safety nets, every turn carried immense weight in the regional capital during the 2023 season.

The 3x3x3 Cube final delivered the drama directly at the top of the standings. José Eduardo Palacios Castro secured victory with a 10.09-second average, anchored by a best single of 9.15 seconds. Fernando Daniel Domínguez Castaneda pushed the pace all the way to the wire, posting a 10.54 average to claim second place. Elvis Isaí Rosales Hernández took third on the podium with a 12.94 average, concluding a competitive set of 3x3 results featuring 25 competitors in the classic Rubik's Cube category.

The small margins continued over at the 2x2x2 Cube table, where 19 competitors vied for top honours. Elvis Isaí Rosales Hernández captured first place by producing a winning average of 3.57 seconds, accompanied by a quick 3.25 single. José Eduardo Palacios Castro remained in the hunt throughout the event, finishing as runner-up with an average of 3.92 seconds after logging a rapid 2.49 single. Fernando Daniel Domínguez Castaneda completed the podium in third with a 4.32 average and a 2.84 single.

José Eduardo Palacios Castro added another triumph to his day in the Skewb event, topping a field of 10 competitors. Palacios Castro posted a winning average of 6.05 seconds with a top single of 4.67. Luis Alonso Inestroza Henriquez finished in second position with a 6.65 average, while Pyraminx champion Edgardo Gálvez secured third place with an 8.00 average. Palacios Castro departed the venue with two gold medals and a silver from his campaign.

In the Pyraminx contest, Edgardo Gálvez delivered an authoritative performance to take the title among 16 competitors. Gálvez posted a winning average of 5.46 seconds and recorded the best single of the discipline at 4.06. José Eduardo Palacios Castro collected another podium placing by taking second with a 5.99 average. Elvis Isaí Rosales Hernández joined them on the podium in third, finishing with a 6.33 mark in a competitive speedcubing battle.

Away from the top of the podium, significant milestones unfolded throughout the venue for several emerging competitors. Juan Martin Peche Reyes achieved major progress across two events, dropping their 2x2x2 personal best to 12.25 seconds, which was 66.5 percent faster than their prior mark, alongside a 20.7 percent drop to 1:02.68 on the 3x3x3. Carlos Ávila completed four disciplines, highlighted by a 27.4 percent improvement to 13.02 in Pyraminx, a 13 percent drop to 5.94 in Skewb, and an 11.1 percent reduction to 15.00 in 3x3x3. Diego Steven Funes Canales took 18th in 3x3x3 with a personal best of 31.43, cutting 24.6 percent, while Armando Javier Guevara Escalante improved their 3x3x3 best by 16.4 percent to 20.24.

First-time appearances and new events also highlighted the depth of the cubing competition in San Salvador. Diego Andres Vega Quijano logged a first attempt at Pyraminx with an 11.70 to finish 12th, while cutting their 3x3x3 personal best by 23.4 percent to 31.66. Marcelo Rafael Olmedo Vicente took on Skewb for the first time, placing 9th with a 22.85 mark, while improving their 3x3x3 best to 51.04. Alain Denis Rallion Sakhno took part in their first WCA competition, recording initial marks of 6.75 in 2x2x2, 9.08 in Pyraminx, and 25.79 in 3x3x3. Carlos Jose García Menjivar also debuted on the circuit, securing a 13th-place finish in Pyraminx with an opening 16.26 single alongside a 39.79 in 3x3x3.

The one-day format at Liceo Salvadoreño provided constant action from the morning rounds through the final solves. Competitors from El Salvador secured all 12 available podium places across the four disciplines, demonstrating sharp execution in a speed cubing environment where single-round finals left zero room for error. The Liceo Salvadoreño Open 2023 concluded as a memorable showcase of close finishes and rapid improvements across the board.