London Winter A 2023

Inside the University Community Centre at the University of Western Ontario, the rhythmic clack of turning plastic set a lively cadence. A field of 82 competitors converged for a day of intense speedcubing on February 25, 2023, filling the London, Ontario, Canada venue with spirited puzzle action. Unlike the slow, deliberate pen-and-paper analysis demanded by Fewest Moves solving, where participants quietly write out notations over an hour, this cubing competition was entirely about sheer velocity, fast reflexes, and dynamic table presence across five distinct disciplines.

The 2023 staging of London Winter A 2023 provided a packed schedule of nine rounds across both large and small puzzles. While traditional speed cubing emphasizes lightning-fast hand movements and instant pattern recognition, the contrast against quiet analytical events remains striking. Competitors embraced the direct intensity of live racing, stepping up to the timing pads with minimal margin for error as official judges watched every turn closely.

In the flagship Rubik's Cube category, Ryan Wu delivered an exceptional performance over three rounds to take top honors. Wu captured the 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 7.03 seconds, backed by a best single solve of 6.16 seconds. Burno Li Chak Kwan took second place with a 7.29 average, while Matthew Lee completed the podium in third with an average of 7.81 seconds. The premier 3x3 results capped an impressive slate of standard cube heats involving 81 participants.

The heavy machinery of the day came in the form of large puzzles, where Omar Ellabban dominated both events. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Ellabban secured first place with an impressive winning average of 1:29.96 and a single of 1:27.79. Burno Li Chak Kwan took the runner-up spot in 1:37.05, followed by Arhaan Sareen in third at 1:39.32. Ellabban continued his mastery in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a winning average of 2:13.34 and a best single of 2:06.70. Burno Li Chak Kwan earned second in 2:26.90, while Ryan Wu secured third place in 2:42.77.

Short-format events brought rapid turnarounds and sharp finishes to London Winter A 2023. In Pyraminx, Harsha Paladugu captured the victory with a 2.36 average, highlighted by a tournament-best 1.49 single solve. Steven Wintringham took second place with a 2.46 average, and Benjamin Kyle claimed third at 3.20. The Skewb event saw Leo Min-Bedford rise to the top of the standings with a winning average of 2.70 and a 2.33 single, outperforming Nicholas Patterson in second at 3.32 and Ryan Wu in third at 3.74.

Beyond the championship podiums, London Winter A 2023 served as a launchpad for remarkable personal milestones across the roster. Gavi Perez achieved an outstanding 56.8 percent drop on Pyraminx with a mark of 18.25 seconds, while also trimming their 3x3x3 Cube best by 41.6 percent down to 34.70 seconds. Austin Xu registered a major breakthrough on Skewb, taking a 47.3 percent improvement to finish with a personal record of 5.96 seconds. Aneesh Jairath cut 41.4 percent from their previous best 3x3x3 Cube mark to clock 18.67 seconds. Ethan Shen took on four events, setting a Skewb personal best of 4.69 seconds which was 43.9 percent faster, and logging a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube with a time of 5:24.21.

The spirit of progress continued through several ambitious debuts and multi-event campaigns. Brandon Woodward tackled five events, earning a best finish of 10th in 7x7x7 Cube and recording a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 3:27.42. Daniel Kruis entered all five events on the schedule, achieving a 15th place best finish in 7x7x7 Cube with a first attempt time of 7:49.63, alongside an initial 6x6x6 Cube mark of 5:05.26. Making this their first WCA competition, Tyler Sadites contested five disciplines, posting a 16th place best finish in 7x7x7 Cube with an initial 7:55.09, an 8.14 first try on Skewb, and a 10.44 opening 3x3x3 Cube solve. First-timer Colten Anjema also launched their journey across three events, logging marks of 8.46 on Skewb, 12.36 on Pyraminx, and 26.15 on the 3x3x3 Cube.

When the final timers clicked off, Canadian solvers gathered ten total podium positions, alongside three for Hong Kong and two for the United States. London Winter A 2023 demonstrated the depth of the regional speedcubing community, blending high-level consistency at the top of the table with massive developmental strides throughout the rankings as competitors look forward to the next stops of the competitive season.