Luanda Open 2024

José Francisco Manuel delivered the defining performance in Luanda, Angola, breaking the sub-twenty barrier in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a winning average of 19.79 seconds and a best single of 19.55 seconds. Solving a Rubik's Cube with a single hand demands exceptional finger ergonomics, precise table positioning, and continuous lookahead without the benefit of two-handed grip stabilization. Manuel proved entirely up to the challenge across the 19-competitor field, asserting control over an event where efficiency of movement determines every fraction of a second.

Held on April 13, 2024, Luanda Open 2024 brought 41 competitors to the Mediateca Zé Dú - Cazenga for a packed schedule spanning six events and seven rounds. The cubing competition showcased the depth of local talent, with Angolan cubers sweeping all 18 podium positions available throughout the day. José Carlos Cardoso Borba took second place in the one-handed event with an average of 23.25 seconds, while Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos secured third place with a 28.60-second average, anchoring a competitive contest at the top.

Beyond his single-handed triumph, José Francisco Manuel also headlined the main 3x3 results, leading a 40-competitor field through two full rounds. Manuel captured the 3x3x3 Cube title with a sharp 9.87-second average and a tournament-best single of 9.26 seconds. Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos claimed the runner-up spot with an average of 11.53 seconds, while André Firmino Tchivango earned third place with a 13.01-second average in the final round of the signature event.

The 2x2x2 Cube event produced the most dramatic finish of the WCA competition, decided by a mere hundredth of a second. Kiary Roque Russo clinched first place with a national record average of 4.83 seconds, which also featured a single of 3.79 seconds. Hilton Adolfo Cardoso Batalha finished right behind in second place with a 4.84-second average and a single of 4.15 seconds. Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos took third with an average of 5.47 seconds, emerging from an intense field of 34 solvers.

Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos emerged as the dominant multi-event specialist of the tournament, taking victories in both big cube disciplines. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Issassa dos Santos finished first with an average of 46.38 seconds and a single of 38.96 seconds, leading José Carlos Cardoso Borba at 1:02.39 and Hilton Adolfo Cardoso Batalha at 1:04.93. He followed that up in the 5x5x5 Cube with a decisive winning average of 1:27.93 and a 1:15.17 single, finishing ahead of Kiary Roque Russo at 3:07.53 and Belarmino Eusébio Chalale at 3:50.40.

Behind the podium battles, several under-the-radar competitors achieved major individual milestones across the schedule. Kinavuidi Simão Paxe cut 46.4 percent off his 3x3x3 personal best with a time of 25.46 seconds while also taking his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 10.04 seconds. Valentino Chalale lowered his 3x3x3 best by 44.3 percent to 21.60 seconds, took his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 3.78 seconds, and recorded his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 40.36 seconds. Rui Verona Issassa dos Santos showed a 42.5 percent improvement on 3x3x3 Cube with a 28.17-second personal best alongside a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 25.53 seconds. Kahilo Pedro Massango logged three personal bests on the day, cutting 32.3 percent in one-handed with 34.14 seconds, 31.4 percent in 2x2x2 with 13.33 seconds, and finishing 9th in 3x3x3 with an 11.96-second personal best.

Vivaldo Cristóvão Roque made significant headway by taking on five events, earning 4th place in 3x3x3, achieving a 29.5 percent drop in one-handed to 22.50 seconds, and logging his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:02.99. Carlos Junior de Carvalho Correia also entered five events, recording his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 4.69 seconds to finish 9th, alongside his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:50.92 and Pyraminx in 14.20 seconds. Aniceto Rodrigues Cahongolo Lourenço delivered a strong 4th place finish in Pyraminx with a first ever attempt of 10.17 seconds, in addition to first attempts at 2x2x2 Cube in 4.11 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:19.67. Pedro Mendes Koudua attended his first WCA competition, entering five events and reaching 12th place in Pyraminx with a 17.28-second initial mark.

The Pyraminx bracket rounded out the six disciplines with Daniel Ginina Vunge securing the gold medal. Vunge posted a winning average of 7.10 seconds and a single of 6.16 seconds to finish ahead of 22 competitors. Kiary Roque Russo secured second place with an average of 10.08 seconds, while Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos added another medal to his tally, finishing third with an average of 11.59 seconds.

Luanda Open 2024 provided an active showcase of speed cubing excellence in 2024, bringing together newcomers and experienced solvers alike across varied twisty puzzle disciplines. With multiple national benchmark marks established and rapid progress recorded across the leaderboard, the one-day gathering set a clear competitive foundation for future speedcubing events in Angola.