Mount Gambier Open 2024

Inside the quiet halls of the Mount Gambier Library, competitors gathered at their tables on April 21, 2024, focusing their energy and visualising every algorithmic turn before touching a puzzle. The intense concentration demanded across competitive cubing, from intricate multi-phase sequences to pure mechanical execution, set the tone for an action-packed day of tournament play in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia. With 20 competitors contesting seven distinct events across seven single-round shootouts, the atmosphere remained sharp and determined throughout every solve.

The 2024 gathering delivered a showcase of premier speedcubing talent, highlighted by Jayden McNeill securing five event victories. In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, McNeill set the benchmark early, posting a winning average of 7.39 seconds alongside the best single time of 7.18 seconds. Mitchell Anderson followed in second place with an average of 11.63 seconds, while Ben Wakelin rounded out the podium in third with an average of 12.11 seconds. The premier 3x3 results demonstrated McNeill's consistency across all five solves in the round.

McNeill continued his winning streak into the larger puzzles, demonstrating remarkable control in the 4x4x4 Cube and 5x5x5 Cube divisions. In the 4x4x4 event, McNeill secured first place with an average of 33.40 seconds and a best single of 29.33 seconds, finishing comfortably ahead of Mitchell Anderson at 49.61 seconds and Ben Wakelin at 56.24 seconds. The 5x5x5 Cube told a similar story, where McNeill topped the field of eight competitors with a 1:07.83 winning average and a 1:02.28 single, followed again by Anderson with 1:35.81 and Patrick Kleverlaan taking third in 1:38.67.

Single-handed solving also proved fruitful for McNeill, who dominated the 3x3x3 One-Handed event. Turning through layers with meticulous grip adjustments, McNeill registered a winning average of 13.13 seconds with a best single of 11.55 seconds. Mitchell Anderson captured another runner-up placement with a 25.94 average, and Patrick Kleverlaan earned third place with an average of 28.14 seconds. The performance marked McNeill's fourth gold of the competition, showcasing his versatility across varying formats.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube variants, the side events provided gripping action. In Pyraminx, McNeill picked up his fifth victory at Mount Gambier Open 2024, averaging 4.76 seconds with a single of 3.33 seconds, besting Mitchell Anderson at 6.19 seconds and Ben Wakelin at 6.63 seconds. In Skewb, Ben Wakelin claimed the top step of the podium with a winning average of 3.59 seconds and a single of 3.23 seconds, edging Lochitha Subasinghe who averaged 5.23 seconds, and McNeill who finished third at 5.48 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event featured the day's closest contest and crowned Lochitha Subasinghe as champion. Subasinghe delivered a winning average of 2.69 seconds and a standout single of 2.05 seconds to capture first place in a field of 17 competitors. McNeill finished second with an average of 3.60 seconds after recording a blazing single of 1.85 seconds, while Liam O'Connell placed third with an average of 5.01 seconds and a 4.41 single.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Henry Jude Miller tackled seven events, finishing 4th in 2x2x2 Cube thanks to a personal best of 2.82 seconds that was 43.3 percent faster than before, alongside a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 4:23.41. Leo McEwen entered five events, cutting their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 21.6 percent to 19.19 seconds and logging their first ever attempts at Skewb in 16.04 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube in 2:12.93. Nikolas Keramaris achieved a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 11.30 seconds, improving by 12.1 percent, and made initial attempts at Skewb in 17.58 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:51.03. Kittatam Saisaard dropped their 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 1:10.88, a 16.9 percent drop, and completed a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 4:57.44.

Other participants marked significant personal progress throughout this speed cubing showcase. Nicholas Eppingstall contested seven events, reaching 4th place in 3x3x3 One-Handed while setting personal bests of 51.71 seconds in 4x4x4 Cube, which was 17.3 percent faster, and 1:48.43 in 5x5x5 Cube. Jasmine Still logged a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 7:48.36 while taking 14.9 percent off her Pyraminx personal best to post 14.14 seconds. Ashleigh Elletson achieved an 8th-place finish in Skewb and improved her 4x4x4 Cube mark to 1:28.68, a 15 percent improvement. For Elias Castignani, this was their first WCA competition, making debut attempts in 2x2x2 Cube with 10.36 seconds, 3x3x3 Cube with 37.99 seconds, and Pyraminx with 19.32 seconds to finish 13th.

All 21 podium positions at this cubing competition were claimed by Australian competitors, highlighting the depth of local talent in the region. Mount Gambier Open 2024 brought together both established front-runners and ambitious newcomers in an efficiently run single-day programme. As the equipment was packed away at Mount Gambier Library, the event stood as a compelling testament to the focus, skill, and continuous progression driving the modern speedcubing community.