Newmarket Favourites 2023

Inside the Optimist Youth Center on April 15, 2023, the hum of turning plastic and the sudden clatter of hands striking timer mats filled the spacious hall. Competitors focused intently across competition tables, checking alignments and running through warm-up algorithms before judges signaled the start of play. Newmarket, Ontario, Canada hosted 59 competitors representing various regions for a full schedule of 12 distinct events spread over 16 rounds. The single-day speedcubing gathering brought together experienced contenders and ambitious newcomers all eager to test their hardware and mental dexterity against the official clock.

For Canadian standout Brennen Lin, the weekend proved to be an absolute masterclass on home soil. Lin took charge of the marquee Rubik's Cube category, dominating the 51-player field to secure the top step with a 7.11 winning average and a lightning-fast best single of 6.59. Lin also captured the 2x2x2 Cube title, recording a 1.76 average to edge out fellow Canadian Arhaan Sareen, who took second with 1.93. Lin added a third crown in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 31.69 average, cementing a commanding trio of victories before the supportive local audience.

The 3x3 results formed the core narrative of the day, but the schedule tested a wide variety of puzzle disciplines. Burno Li Chak Kwan of Hong Kong mounted a remarkable campaign across the complex twisty puzzles, securing three titles of his own. Kwan claimed victory in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 52.04 average, followed by a triumph in Megaminx where he logged a 36.94 winning average. Kwan concluded his dominant run by prevailing in the Square-1 final, posting an average of 9.60 and an event-best single solve of 6.19 seconds.

Big cube excellence continued in the upper layers as Omar Ellabban delivered a flawless sweep in the largest NxN puzzles. Ellabban captured the 6x6x6 Cube with an average of 1:29.56, finishing ahead of Nathan Chiem at 1:36.68. In the 7x7x7 Cube division, Ellabban once again topped the podium by posting a 2:22.53 average, while Chiem claimed second place with 2:41.13 and Benson Lau secured third with 4:10.15. The precision required for these extended solves provided a thrilling showcase of endurance and mechanical control.

Side events offered rapid, varied action throughout the afternoon. Jessica Ying earned first place in Pyraminx with a 3.51 average, turning in a sharp single of 2.19 to lead a 22-person bracket. Larry Shi topped the Skewb event with a 4.55 average, narrowly ahead of Ying who took second at 5.37. Lucas Nieuwland managed a 5.16 average to win Clock, while Stanley Wang claimed the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with an average of 12.54, outpacing Tin Huang and Adam Wu.

Beyond the championship trophies, Newmarket Favourites 2023 showcased major personal breakthroughs throughout the roster. Ian Wei shaved off substantial time on multiple puzzles, clocking a Megaminx personal best of 1:16.84 that was 52.9 percent faster than his prior mark, along with a 26.49 Square-1 effort that improved by 21 percent. David Jose Fernandez Breton of Mexico delivered a massive leap in Megaminx, lowering his personal best by 48.4 percent to 3:18.28 while taking on Pyraminx for the first time with a 10.79 single. Isaac Chen dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 43.9 percent down to 7.30 seconds and cut his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 28.8 percent to 1:50.17.

First-time event entries and new milestones defined the day for many others at the cubing competition. Natán David Fernández Rivera earned a fourth-place finish in Pyraminx with an opening mark of 3.60 on his first official attempt in the event, alongside a 31 percent personal best improvement in 3x3x3 Cube down to 15.18. Jenna Hassan secured fourth place in Skewb with a 3.51 personal best, outperforming her previous best by 21.1 percent, and made her Megaminx debut at 1:17.23. Ramanishanirudh Nandagopal Prabhu dropped his 4x4x4 Cube best by 37.6 percent down to 1:00.34, while Brendan Irwin tackled his first WCA competition by entering four events and placing sixth in Skewb. Ben Hewis also completed his initial speed cubing tournament appearance across four disciplines, opening with an 8.26 single in 2x2x2 Cube.

As the final rounds wrapped up at the Optimist Youth Center, Canadian competitors claimed 32 total podium positions while Hong Kong entrants secured four. The mix of elite mastery and personal breakthroughs highlighted the enduring vitality of the regional scene in 2023. With trophies awarded and fresh personal bests logged into the international database, the participants concluded a dense and rewarding day of puzzle solving on Ontario soil.