Melbourne Summer 2023

Riley Dexter delivered a commanding performance to secure the premier 3x3x3 Cube title, setting the tone for a high-calibre weekend of speedcubing in Victoria. Dexter recorded a winning average of 6.64 seconds alongside a weekend-best single of 5.71 seconds to take the top step in the marquee discipline. Across four fiercely contested rounds of standard Rubik's Cube solving, Dexter held off a strong field of 377 contenders. The decisive final round cemented Dexter at the head of the pack, followed by Phoenix Patterson with an average of 7.06 seconds and David Epstein taking third place with an average of 7.25 seconds.

Staged at the Diamond Creek Community Bank Stadium from January 20 to January 22, Melbourne Summer 2023 brought together a massive gathering of 385 competitors. The three-day WCA competition showcased 17 different events spanning 42 rounds of tournament play. Hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the meet served as an expansive test across classical puzzles, side events, and complex blindfolded disciplines. Established figures throughout the Australian speed cubing circuit demonstrated their pedigree across several rounds of high-pressure turning throughout the busy 2023 schedule.

Short-format puzzles produced exceptional speed across four rounds of elimination. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Phoenix Patterson captured first place with an impressive winning average of 1.96 seconds, backed by a rapid 1.39-second best single out of 316 entrants. Eli Panetta triumphed in Skewb, posting a winning average of 2.91 seconds to lead a podium featuring Patterson at 3.80 seconds and Ziqi Ding at 3.84 seconds. In Pyraminx, Junqi Feng claimed the title with an average of 2.13 seconds across four rounds, finishing ahead of Emmet Hobbs who averaged 2.38 seconds and Wesley Allen who posted 2.67 seconds.

Chris Mills enjoyed a standout showing across intermediate and specialty events, capturing two major victories. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Mills took the title with an average of 28.27 seconds, finishing ahead of Yibo Wang at 28.88 seconds and Riley Dexter at 29.80 seconds over three rounds. Mills also secured first place in Megaminx, recording a winning mark of 43.09 seconds. Meanwhile, Yibo Wang proved dominant in both one-handed and big-cube formats, winning 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 10.87 seconds before taking the 5x5x5 Cube crown with an average of 57.73 seconds.

Beyond the central 3x3 results and traditional podium races, individual progress defined the competition for dozens of competitors expanding their event repertoires. Jasper Jones posted an enormous personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 3.16 seconds, cutting 56.2 percent off his previous mark of 7.22 seconds, while also recording his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 13.09 seconds. Cunmeng Wang logged an impressive 55.3 percent improvement in Pyraminx, setting a new personal best of 3.51 seconds down from 7.86 seconds, on his way to a 17th-place finish and completing his first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:51.44. Reyansh Jai Ved delivered a 51.6 percent drop in Skewb with a personal best of 9.10 seconds and logged a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 49.89 seconds. Aarush Shah tackled eight disciplines, finishing 37th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a count of 72 in his first ever attempt and logging his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:14.80.

The depth of the field was equally evident as seasoned participants broadened their horizons with ambitious multi-event schedules. Gemma Tolhurst took on ten events at the gathering, achieving a weekend-best 34th place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves alongside her first ever attempt at Skewb in 11.80 seconds. Arta Pilehforoushha matched that ten-event workload, recording a 38th-place finish in Fewest Moves and completing a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:10.70. Alexander Ihara took on eight events and logged his first ever attempt at Square-1 in 43.47 seconds, while Smaran Singh contested eight disciplines to claim 20th place in the 3x3x3 Cube and post a first ever attempt at Skewb of 7.81 seconds.

Technical and niche disciplines highlighted the deep versatility on display across the schedule. David Epstein took first place in Square-1 with a winning average of 6.60 seconds, while Zayd Chaudhry topped the Clock podium with a mark of 5.25 seconds, holding off Zhouyao Zhu at 5.88 seconds and Phoenix Patterson at 6.40 seconds. In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, Jayden McNeill won with an average of 24.00 moves, edging out Tommy Kiprillis on the same 24.00 average, with Dexter claiming third place at 27.00. Big cubes saw Andy Gong take the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:50.42 and Myles Jarman win the 7x7x7 Cube in 3:04.86.

The blindfolded categories belonged comprehensively to Michael Tripodi, who swept all three single-puzzle memory events. Tripodi won 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a single of 20.48 seconds, topped 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 1:46.18, and completed the triple by winning 5x5x5 Blindfolded in 3:57.57. In the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, Tam Quan earned victory by successfully resolving 22 of 30 cubes in 59:12. Across the entirety of Melbourne Summer 2023, Australian competitors earned 41 podium places, joined by 10 for China and 2 for the United Kingdom, closing out an energetic start to the competitive year.