Nimble Newborough 2024

The tables were set and the displays were glowing inside the Newborough Public Hall as competitors gathered on October 26 and October 27. Nimble Newborough 2024 brought together a field of 63 speedcubing entrants in Newborough, Victoria, Australia for a packed schedule of 10 events across 18 rounds. With the 2024 speed cubing calendar moving into its late-season stretch, the weekend offered an ideal setting for both seasoned podium contenders and rising talents to test their form before the year drew toward its conclusion.

The main event spotlight fell firmly on Phoenix Patterson during the 3x3x3 Cube contest, which drew 61 participants over three rounds. Patterson captured first place with an average of 7.30 seconds, backed by a best single solve of 6.21 seconds. Roman Rudakov claimed the second spot on the podium with an 8.24 average, while Jaime Fernandes earned third place with an average of 8.70. The 3x3 results confirmed Patterson as a commanding presence in the premier Rubik's Cube category throughout the weekend.

Patterson added another gold medal to an impressive tally by winning 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a winning average of 11.49 seconds and a tournament-best single of 10.89 seconds across two rounds. Rudakov was not to be outdone in the short-format puzzles, capturing the 2x2x2 Cube title with a 1.58-second average after three rounds of competition, edging out Nicholas Mouratidis at 1.76 seconds and Patterson at 1.83 seconds. Rudakov also notched the fastest single in the event at 1.25 seconds.

Side events brought exceptional variety to this cubing competition, highlighted by a dominant display from Ziqi Ding. Ding captured victory in both the Pyraminx and Skewb categories, winning Pyraminx with an average of 2.36 seconds ahead of Patterson at 3.40 seconds and Mouratidis at 4.31 seconds. Ding then secured top honours in Skewb with a 2.86 average, keeping Rudakov at 3.38 seconds and Patterson at 3.61 seconds at bay. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Jaime Fernandes secured the win with an average of 34.29 seconds, narrowly leading Patterson at 34.60 seconds and Rudakov at 35.25 seconds.

Michael Tripodi showcased sharp precision across disparate categories, claiming first place in Clock with a 4.36 average and a best single of 3.69 seconds. Tripodi also mastered the mental challenge of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, winning the final with an average of 25.22 seconds and a best single time of 21.93 seconds, followed by Swami Srinivasan with a 48.85 average and Alex Butera with a 1:39.60 average. Longer blindfolded events demanded intense concentration, where Zayd Chaudhry won the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event with a 10:19.00 single, and Srinivasan took the 5x5x5 Blindfolded victory with a single solve of 15:27.00.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, Nimble Newborough 2024 featured notable personal breakthroughs across the roster. Maxwell Dorset posted a massive improvement in Clock, cutting personal best times down to 10.47 seconds from 30.48, which was 65.6 percent faster, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 9.82 seconds. Sean Dykes achieved a 21.04-second Clock personal best, improving by 54.2 percent, while also completing first-ever official attempts in Pyraminx with a 12.71 and 2x2x2 Cube with a 10.50. Jacob Mock made huge strides with a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 30.44 seconds, 45.1 percent faster than before, as well as dropping his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 27.5 percent to 50.61 seconds.

The depth of progress at this WCA competition extended through many other brackets. Arlo Warner lowered a 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 37.8 percent to 7.02 seconds and tackled a first official Skewb attempt with a 17.63. Nishant Bhambhani shaved 29.3 percent off a previous 3x3x3 Cube mark to record 19.10 seconds and registered a first Pyraminx result of 14.07. Dexter Hofmann dropped a 2x2x2 Cube mark by 25.9 percent down to 3.60 seconds and tried 4x4x4 Cube for the first time with a 1:25.17. First-time competitors stepped onto the stage as well, with William Jacks logging an opening 3x3x3 Cube solve of 22.96 seconds across four events, and Kaiden Elliott completing an initial 2x2x2 Cube mark of 12.85 seconds.

As the final timers stopped and the venue packed down, the gathering proved how vibrant regional events remain on the Australian circuit. Australian competitors secured 36 podium places alongside an international appearance from Spain, reflecting a strong community spirit. Nimble Newborough 2024 closed out its two days of racing with memorable finishes, setting a high standard for competitors heading into the upcoming season.