Nacionales Guatemala 2023

Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez delivered an emphatic victory on home soil in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, sealing the main 3x3x3 Cube title with a 9.43 winning average and an 8.33 single. The performance anchored a stellar individual campaign across three demanding rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube. Staged at Salon La Fuente from December 15 to December 17, Nacionales Guatemala 2023 brought together 56 competitors across 17 events and 28 rounds, serving as a comprehensive showcase for the national speedcubing community across the full spectrum of World Cube Association disciplines.

Beyond his headline triumph in the primary event, Batz Rodríguez accumulated titles across multiple formats throughout the weekend. He secured top honours in Pyraminx with a 2.96 average, outpaced the field in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 17.53 average, and claimed first place in Megaminx, finishing with a 53.12 mark just ahead of runner-up Alexander Batz at 53.44. In the 3x3 results, Aldo José Gramajo de León took second place on the podium with a 9.95 average, while Javier Siquité took third place with a 10.80 average, cementing an intense battle at the top of the standings.

Javier Siquité mounted an equally dominant campaign across the larger cubes and specialty events throughout the WCA competition. Siquité captured first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.73 winning average, took the 4x4x4 Cube crown in 35.39, and topped the 5x5x5 Cube final with a 1:06.69 average, highlighted by a 58.97 single. His momentum carried straight into the big puzzles and mechanical novelties, where he earned first place in the 7x7x7 Cube with a 3:35.89 mean and secured the Square-1 victory with an average of 13.33.

The technical and side events rounded out the broad slate of the cubing competition. Gabriel Barrios demonstrated remarkable range, winning the 6x6x6 Cube in 2:08.95 before excelling in the blindfolded disciplines. Barrios clinched the 3x3x3 Blindfolded win with a 20.90 single and put together a dominant 3x3x3 Multi-Blind performance, solving 33 out of 39 cubes in 55:47. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Sergio Bulux took first place with an 8:00.62 average. Aldo José Gramajo de León earned the Clock title with a 7.42 average, Olander Rafael Hernández Morales claimed the Skewb title with a 4.79 average, and Manuel José Domínguez Ávila solved the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves challenge in 32 moves.

While the top podium steps saw fierce competition between established frontrunners, several competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs across the weekend program. Oscar Armando Mogollon Champet took on three events and slashed his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 33.47, improving his previous mark by 57.4 percent, while also completing his first official attempts in 2x2x2 Cube with an 11.57 and Skewb with a 16.58. Rodrigo Pinto took on a massive slate of 12 events, recording his first official attempt at the 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:51.85, cutting his Square-1 best to 21.76 for a 48.1 percent improvement, and lowering his 4x4x4 Cube mark to 50.27, a 42 percent leap. Elver Francisco González Mejía contested six disciplines, logging first attempts in Clock at 19.37 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:18.43, alongside a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.76.

Fresh faces and multi-event specialists also made their presence felt across the tables. Gerson Dávide Ortiz Rodríguez made his first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.71 and Pyraminx with a 9.94, while lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark to 32.42. Elisa Fernanda Pérez Catalán tackled five events, making her first Clock attempt at 27.66 and posting a 7.98 Pyraminx personal best, which was 28.9 percent faster than her prior mark. Pablo Emanuel Say entered eight events, recording a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:39.88, a Skewb personal best of 4.56, and a 2.89 in 2x2x2 Cube. Making their competitive debuts at their first speed cubing championship, José Horacio Hernández Pérez logged times across four events including a 21.98 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Sofia Gamez completed her first official solves across three events, posting 15.43 in 3x3x3 Cube and 3.88 in 2x2x2 Cube.

The 2023 championship highlighted the continued growth of Guatemalan solving across all 17 official categories. With 49 podium finishes awarded to competitors from Guatemala, the tournament provided a comprehensive test of precision, speed, and endurance over three full days of action. The gathering at Salon La Fuente closed out the competitive year on a high note, leaving competitors ready for the next season of tournament play.