Montevideo al Cubo 2023

The tables at Grupo Altavista Lab & Trend buzzed with intense concentration as timers flashed and competitors adjusted their hardware in Montevideo, Uruguay. A focused group of 26 participants gathered for a single packed day of action on January 29, 2023. Across seven official disciplines and 11 rounds of high-speed solving, the room remained locked on the quick-turning action from the morning rounds to the late afternoon finals.

The sprint disciplines took center stage, with the classic 3x3x3 Cube drawing 25 competitors across three rounds. Argentina standout Gael Augusto Lapeyre set the standard for the weekend, delivering a spectacular performance to take the championship. Lapeyre posted a winning average of 6.72 and secured the best single solve of the event at 6.01, showing unmatched consistency under pressure. In the official 3x3 results, Bruno Lezama of Uruguay claimed the second step on the podium with a 9.21 average, followed by compatriot Sebastiano Benato in third place with 10.75.

Lapeyre carried that blazing speed straight into the 2x2x2 Cube, an event where fractions of a second decide the entire contest. Facing a field of 21 solvers across two rounds, Lapeyre locked down the gold medal with a blistering winning average of 1.75, bolstered by a 1.49 single. The competition behind him was remarkably tight, as Uruguayan solvers Manuel Malvárez and Bruno Lezama battled for podium spots. Malvárez took the runner-up position with an average of 3.40, edging out Lezama, who claimed bronze in 3.45.

The broader cubing competition featured intense specialty events where versatility was rewarded. In the unique mechanics of Clock, Lapeyre earned yet another victory with a winning average of 5.33, besting Uruguayan contenders Víctor Gálvez at 7.98 and Manuel Malvárez at 8.64. Over at the Square-1 table, Argentine solver Felipe Maierowicz produced a dominant display, claiming first place with a 9.28 average and a best single of 7.66. He topped Lapeyre, who took silver with 11.17, and Lezama, who captured third with 14.46.

In the geometric challenge of Pyraminx, Sebastiano Benato took top honors with a smooth 2.61 average, joined on the podium by Brian Hambeck in second with 3.08 and Lapeyre in third with 4.33. Bruno Lezama also found gold at Skewb, taking the victory with a 3.61 average over Lapeyre in 3.91 and Malvárez in 5.64. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where pure memorisation and precision dictate success, Nicolas Campanario of Argentina won with a 25.85 single, finishing ahead of Christian Goñi at 48.62 and Lapeyre at 1:21.40.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs during the tournament. Ian Patrick Scotte took on three disciplines and logged a huge 37.4 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 4.80, while also setting a Pyraminx personal best of 7.58, which was 19.4 percent faster than before. Mateo de León entered five events, slicing 27.7 percent off their Clock personal best with a 9.37 and chopping 26.6 percent off their Skewb best to record 6.94. Mora Rodriguez made significant gains on the classic Rubik's Cube, registering a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 22.70 to improve by 17.8 percent, while Sebastian Campanario dropped their Rubik's Cube best by 13.5 percent to finish with a 1:14.68.

The gathering also served as an exciting debut stage for new talent making their first appearance at an official WCA competition. Lucca Gatti tackled three events in their debut, registering a first ever attempt of 10.13 in Pyraminx, 23.74 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 6.52 in 2x2x2 Cube. Lorenzo Robaina took on three events, posting a 5th place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a first attempt of 1:58.84 along with initial marks of 3.67 in 2x2x2 Cube and 17.16 in 3x3x3 Cube. Isaac Morales recorded a first attempt of 3.87 in 2x2x2 Cube on the way to a 12th place finish, while Santiago Cabral entered two events, recording a first try of 5.87 in Pyraminx and an 11th place finish in Skewb with 13.50.

The overall medal tally reflected the regional depth in attendance, as host nation Uruguay collected 12 podium places while visiting competitors from Argentina secured nine. Whether chasing lightning-fast averages or mastering tactical solves, every participant pushed their capabilities to the limit in this showcase of high-caliber speedcubing. The energetic atmosphere at Grupo Altavista Lab & Trend demonstrated the continued growth of the local scene.

With 11 complete rounds wrapped up in a single intense day, Montevideo al Cubo 2023 offered a complete celebration of speed cubing excellence in South America. The memorable times set in the 2x2 and 3x3 finals highlighted a day where precision hardware and fast hands collided. Competitors left the venue looking ahead to their training routines, ready to carry the momentum of this tournament forward into the next season.