New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2024

Seventeen competitors took on the grueling challenge of the 7x7x7 Cube at the Pakuranga United Rugby Club, where endurance and mechanical mastery decided the weekend's most demanding contest. The multi-layered puzzles set the tone for the New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2024, held in Auckland, New Zealand across September 28 and September 29, 2024. Across 22 rounds and 10 distinct events, 71 competitors gathered to test their physical stamina and problem-solving speed. Managing the massive volume of pieces across the larger layers requires prolonged focus, and the big-cube schedule proved to be a centerpiece of the competition.

In the 7x7x7 Cube final, Richard Yiheng Tao captured the title with a winning average of 2:50.95, anchored by a best single solve of 2:48.91. Liam Wadek secured the runner-up spot with an average of 3:07.84, while Kalvin Lum claimed third place on the podium with an average of 3:21.13. The 5x5x5 Cube also demanded exceptional finger endurance across two rounds featuring 28 competitors. Alexander Vujcich delivered the victory in the event, posting an impressive winning average of 44.63 and a best single mark of 43.30, holding off Richard Yiheng Tao in second at 52.99 and Chris Mills in third at 57.72.

Alexander Vujcich continued his dominant run in the complex puzzles by securing the top spot in Megaminx. Across two rounds that brought together 24 competitors, Vujcich claimed victory with a winning average of 29.87 and an event-best single of 25.70. The technical variety at this speedcubing tournament extended to the traditional Rubik's Cube events, where 64 competitors faced off across three full rounds of standard 3x3x3 action. Chris Mills earned the top step on the podium, registering a winning average of 7.17 alongside a quickest single solve of 6.34.

The 3x3 results confirmed the depth of the local field, as Alexander Vujcich finished second in the 3x3x3 Cube with an average of 7.56, followed closely by Richard Yiheng Tao in third place with 7.73. Chris Mills also proved unbeatable in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming his second title of the weekend with a winning average of 12.40 and a single solve of 11.16 out of 38 competitors. Jesse Brooke took the second position with an average of 13.29, while Richard Yiheng Tao earned another podium placement in third at 13.35.

Away from the top steps of the podium, numerous competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. Jaden Heerikhuisen took on six events and earned a best finish of 4th in Clock, dropping their personal best to 4.58 from an earlier mark of 11.33 to become 59.6 percent faster. Albert Chen entered five events and improved their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 13.27, a 59.2 percent improvement from 32.52, while also posting a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 40.96 and a first 2x2x2 Cube mark of 4.93. Jacob Coring took on eight events, securing 16th place in the 7x7x7 Cube while logging a first ever attempt at 7x7x7 of 9:40.27, a first Clock solve of 21.33, and a first One-Handed time of 39.34. Abhiraj Saini entered eight disciplines, finishing 17th in 7x7x7 Cube while completing a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 2:43.75, a first Clock solve of 32.04, and a first One-Handed solve of 34.05.

First-time appearances and multi-event schedules highlighted the grassroots energy across the venue. Jay McElwee took part in their first WCA competition, entering five events and registering a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 2.84, a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 1:48.62, and a Clock result of 9.13. Oscar Harding also made their debut at this WCA competition across two events, recording a first 2x2x2 mark of 4.90 and a first 3x3x3 time of 32.22. Thomas Kilbey contested seven events, achieving a Clock first attempt of 11.84 alongside a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 17.67, which was 19.4 percent faster than their previous 21.93. Natalie Galbraith took on six events, registering a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 3:40.93 and improving their One-Handed personal best to 53.44, an 11.6 percent progression.

Speed cubing precision was also evident in the rapid-fire short events. The 2x2x2 Cube featured 59 competitors across three rounds, won by Andrew Feng of the USA with a final average of 1.78 and a single of 1.51. Ram Thakkar of India followed closely in second place at 1.81, while Elyas Eyou of New Zealand took third at 1.84. In Pyraminx, Elyas Eyou took the victory across three rounds among 42 solvers, recording a winning average of 1.48 and a best single of 1.36. Edwin Shen led the 33-competitor Clock field across three rounds, winning with an average of 3.87 ahead of Richard Yiheng Tao at 5.16 and Elyas Eyou at 5.89.

The blindfolded categories demanded unmatched spatial recall from competitors. James Macdiarmid captured both memory disciplines, winning the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event with a best single solve of 24.54 across two rounds, followed by Caleb Hall at 1:07.16 and Kalvin Lum at 1:55.54. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Macdiarmid triumphed with a remarkable score of 42/47 solved in 58:48, while Caleb Hall solved 8/10 in 50:51 for second and Kalvin Lum achieved 5/7 in 40:24 for third. The New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2024 concluded having demonstrated the complete spectrum of endurance, memory, and turning speed in Auckland.

Across the ten events, host nation solvers claimed 28 podium places, with the USA and India capturing one apiece. From the minute-long big-cube puzzles to the fractions of a second separating sprint champions, the cubing competition showcased high-level focus at every table. As equipment is packed away and practice resumes, the community in New Zealand moves forward with new milestones established across every tier of the roster.