Nacionales Uruguayas 2024

Theo Goluboff delivered an extraordinary masterclass in speedcubing over three days in Montevideo, Uruguay, sweeping twelve separate events to seal an unmatched run at the tables. The Argentine competitor set the tone early and never let up, claiming the premier 3x3x3 Cube crown with a blisteringly fast 6.37 winning average and a single of 6.15. Across 30 total rounds of competition, the gathering brought together 53 competitors from multiple nations, creating a vibrant weekend where shared enthusiasm and fierce tabletop battles went hand in hand.

Hosted at Casa INJU from October 18 to October 20, Nacionales Uruguayas 2024 served as a vibrant hub for the regional cubing community. Beyond the sheer intensity of the race against the timer, the venue fostered camaraderie among competitors who shared tips, scrambled puzzles for adjacent heats, and supported one another through high-pressure solves. The gathering offered a full slate of 16 events, providing space for specialists in everything from traditional speed cubing puzzles to rare blindfolded disciplines.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the tournament, highlighting a sharp contest among South America's top talents. Goluboff led the main 3x3x3 Cube podium, followed by Uruguay's Bruno Lezama in second place with an average of 10.10 and Irene Pinto securing third with an average of 10.16. Lezama proved exceptionally versatile throughout the weekend, earning podium spots across several disciplines and capturing the 5x5x5 Blindfolded title with a winning single of 12:46.00 and an average of 16:27.00. Uruguay led the final podium standings with 26 total top-three finishes, while Argentina secured 16, and Brazil and Venezuela earned 3 each.

Goluboff extended his dominance across a diverse range of disciplines, taking first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with an average of 1.82, the 4x4x4 Cube with a 26.54 average, and the 5x5x5 Cube with a 47.84 mark. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, he finished atop the podium with a 10.58 average ahead of Manuel Malvárez who posted 13.64 and Bruno Lezama with 15.58. Goluboff also secured first in Megaminx, Square-1, 6x6x6 Cube, and 7x7x7 Cube, alongside remarkable blindfolded triumphs including a 37.37 single in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 5:10.34 in 4x4x4 Blindfolded, and 16 out of 19 solved cubes in 53:14 during 3x3x3 Multi-Blind.

Specialty events brought additional excitement to the floor as competitors tackled distinctive mechanics and unique setups. In the Pyraminx final, Sebastiano Benato clinched victory with a winning average of 3.19 after notching a quick single of 2.15 across two rounds of play. Santiago Cabral took the Clock title with an impressive 3.72 average and a best single of 3.35, while Bruno Lezama captured the Skewb event with an average of 3.72 and a single of 2.28. These alternative events allowed solvers of all backgrounds to test their dexterity away from the classic Rubik's Cube format.

Away from the championship podiums, several competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs that defined their tournament journeys. Dante Martinez Renovales unlocked huge gains, cutting his Pyraminx personal best to 5.50 to finish 63.4 percent faster and lowering his 2x2x2 mark to 5.92, an improvement of 54 percent. Lucas Barrientos chopped 57 percent off his Skewb best with a time of 24.74 while also taking 10th in Pyraminx. Kimberly Nicol Salvo Bruschi took on eight events, lowering her 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 52.9 percent to 4.09 and dropping her 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 39.3 percent to 52.92. Agustín Márquez entered 11 events, taking 5th in Clock, setting a Clock personal best of 6.83, improving his Megaminx time by 41.9 percent to 1:45.45, and making his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 2:05.82.

First-time event attempts and major milestones continued throughout the lower brackets of the competition schedule. Leandro Estevez tackled 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a mark of 24.70 to finish 9th, while improving his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.46. Tomás Dorrego completed his first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube with a result of 1:27.68, and Martín Matías Kaztman Cao registered his first Pyraminx solve at 8.40 alongside a 16.18 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube. First-time competitor Dylan Gandaria made a memorable entry by taking 4th place in Square-1 while logging first-ever marks across the 4x4x4 Cube, 2x2x2 Cube, and Megaminx.

The competitive depth of this WCA competition was evident right down to the final afternoon brackets. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Manuel Malvárez placed second with a 36.42 average, closely followed by Víctor Gálvez at 36.77. The big cube divisions also saw Gálvez take second in 5x5x5 Cube with 1:04.75, narrowly beating Brazil's João Vinícius Santos who logged 1:06.46. In the memory events, Christian Goñi earned second place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:04.34 single and third in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by completing 5 of 7 cubes within 43:47.

As the final timers stopped, Nacionales Uruguayas 2024 concluded having delivered an unforgettable showcase of community spirit and high-level execution in Montevideo. Solvers packed up their cubes after a weekend full of shared strategies, milestone solves, and intense podium battles across 16 different formats. With records updated and personal bests shattered across all experience levels, the competitors now look ahead to building upon their progress in the next season of speedcubing.