Manchester August 2024

Eight rounds across five distinct events welcomed 114 competitors to the Wythenshawe Forum for Manchester August 2024. Staged on August 3, 2024, in Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, the one-day gathering demanded immediate precision. With tight round allocations, speedcubing entrants faced strict qualification cuts to advance, forcing contenders to deliver fast times right out of the gate. From direct single-round finals to high-pressure two-round brackets, the structural design ensured that consistency and nerve dictated every podium outcome across the venue floor.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 110 competitors through its two rounds of classic Rubik's Cube solving. Daniel Evans rose to the challenge in the final, securing victory with a winning average of 9.20 seconds alongside a best single solve of 8.41. The battle for the top spot remained razor-thin, as Wong Pat Lun pushed the pace to finish second with a 9.25 average. Thomas Sonnenberg Jarner completed the podium in third place at 10.33, concluding an intense round of 3x3 results where one slip separated medalists.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, a 100-person field navigated the two-round progression where Thomas Sonnenberg Jarner captured the gold. Jarner registered a winning average of 2.85 seconds and a best single of 2.37 in the deciding round. Daniel Hamilton earned the silver medal with an average of 3.09, having logged a 2.23 single earlier in the event. Sandeep Sambhi took third place with a 3.15 average. The event featured exceptional depth, with competitors like Richard Mang, Kai Cui, Benjamin Grzesiak, William Petrie, Josh Jackson, and Rongson Li Chen all delivering sub-four-second averages.

The Pyraminx bracket also utilised a demanding two-round format, trimming a field of 79 competitors down to the final stage. Alex Hamilton navigated the rounds to take first place, posting a decisive winning average of 3.21 seconds and a best single of 2.49. Kai Cui applied steady pressure to secure the silver position with an average of 3.27, while Ryan Jones claimed third place on the podium with a 3.75 mark. The sharp cut between rounds left no margin for error on the triangular puzzle.

Single-round events tested competitors with immediate, high-stakes finals. The Megaminx competition featured 41 entrants who each had one five-solve average to stake their claim. Finley Norris mastered the complex dodecahedron, winning with a 44.97 average and a standout 38.04 single solve. Fred Lang followed in second place with a time of 52.95, and Thomas Sonnenberg Jarner secured third in 1:00.14. Over in the Skewb final, 61 contenders faced the same direct format, where Adejuwon Adebusuyi Oluwemimo won the title with a 5.02 average over Finley Norris at 5.18 and Daniel Hamilton at 5.40.

Behind the top tiers of the official WCA competition, several competitors marked significant milestones and breakthroughs. Sophie Park achieved massive improvements across multiple puzzles, cutting her 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.88 seconds, which was 54.2 percent faster than her prior benchmark, alongside a 17.74 3x3x3 Cube personal best that was 35.4 percent quicker, while also logging her first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 7.35. Maxwell Ace Adams knocked 48.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark with a new 5.82 best, improved his 3x3x3 Cube time by 20.2 percent to 29.92, and completed his first Pyraminx solve in 15.96. Yehuda Greenhouse lowered his Pyraminx personal best by 37 percent to 8.73 seconds, while recording first attempts in Skewb at 40.60 and Megaminx at 3:42.09. Joseph John David Sharwin improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 35.1 percent to 16.02, while making his first career appearances in 2x2x2 Cube at 4.15 and Pyraminx at 10.26.

The spirit of this speed cubing meeting was equally visible among competitors tackling brand-new puzzles and first-time attendees. Felix Dean made his first ever attempts at Megaminx in 1:55.12 and 2x2x2 Cube in 3.80, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 14.95 that was 18.3 percent faster than before. Naveen Robin Sheikh took on five events, improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 15.7 percent to 14.22 while logging maiden marks in Megaminx at 3:15.62 and Pyraminx at 13.81. Making their official debuts, Cheung Tin Long entered all five events, recording a first Megaminx result of 1:35.15 and an 18th-place finish, while Ivan Prykhodchenko debuted across five disciplines, highlighted by an 18.61 on the classic cube and a 38th-place Megaminx effort.

Reflecting on the full day of competition, Manchester August 2024 showcased the diverse tactical demands of modern tournament structures. The United Kingdom led the podium count with 10 top-three finishes, followed by Denmark with 3, Nigeria with 1, and Hong Kong with 1. Whether advancing through multi-round brackets or mastering single-round finals, every solver faced an intense test of concentration at the Wythenshawe Forum. As the 2024 cubing competition calendar marches forward, the performances across all five puzzles set a strong foundation for the next wave of regional tournaments.