Odd Sides in Sydney 2024

A single misstep can shatter an entire weekend when the format demands perfection across every solve. At Odd Sides in Sydney 2024, the intense pressure of mean-of-three events was on full display as competitors tackled some of the most unforgiving formats in speedcubing. Held at North Sydney Boys High School across December 7 and December 8, the competition brought together 65 competitors across 8 events and 13 rounds of high-stakes solving. In Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the margins for error were razor thin, especially in blindfolded and big cube disciplines where one dropped piece or memorisation slip ruins a three-attempt average.

The 7x7x7 Cube final perfectly illustrated the razor-thin margins of mean formats. Terence Chenh claimed victory by a sliver of time, registering a winning average of 2:40.27 and a best single solve of 2:25.93. Bryan Eng pushed Chenh to the wire, finishing second with an average of 2:41.24, less than a single second behind the top step of the podium. Harrison Jonathan Newbery-Chunn rounded out the podium with an average of 2:55.29. With 39 competitors taking on the largest puzzle of the weekend, the endurance required across three gruelling solves tested every finalist to the maximum.

Blindfolded solving proved just as unforgiving. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, Hans Lin captured the title with a swift single time of 20.80 seconds, finishing ahead of Nam Anh Dang who took second in 22.95 seconds and Elias Chong in third at 40.01 seconds. The volatility of the format showed on the scoresheet, where multiple finalists recorded an overall DNF average despite blisteringly fast individual solves. Lin demonstrated incredible versatility across the blindfolded disciplines, also capturing first place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a single of 9:03.62, outperforming Ting Sheng Bao Yang who posted 24:55.00 and Akito Koike who registered 28:51.00.

The multi-cube discipline offered its own brand of calculated risk. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Elias Chong secured the top spot on the podium with a score of 24/29 solved in 53:55. Hans Lin took second place by successfully solving 15 out of 18 cubes in 47:27, while Jim Zhu earned third place with 14 out of 18 cubes solved in 57:07. Chong also delivered a commanding performance in Clock, winning the event across two rounds with an average of 5.24 seconds, holding off Lin who averaged 6.39 seconds and Kristian Trubajic who finished third with 6.93 seconds.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several solvers produced exceptional personal milestones across the weekend schedule. Alec Wong dropped substantial time on the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a personal best of 2:37.88, which was 31.3 percent faster than their previous mark, alongside taking on their first ever attempts at Square-1 and the 7x7x7 Cube. Benjamin Goodwin contested six different events and improved their Clock personal best to 8.11 seconds, a 28.9 percent drop, while also making their first official attempts at both 3x3x3 Blindfolded and 7x7x7 Cube. Ivan Wang lowered their 5x5x5 Cube best by 23.8 percent to 2:31.78, while Tiana Panaia reduced their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 29.9 percent to 1:12.83.

The depth of progress across the venue showed how much preparation competitors brought to this cubing competition. Lucas Shi took on five events, earning a 14th-place finish in Square-1 with a first-time mark of 19.87 seconds while also recording debut attempts in One-Handed and 7x7x7 Cube. Ethan Collins registered a first attempt at One-Handed with 26.10 seconds and 5x5x5 Cube with 1:38.95. Benson Zhang took part in their first WCA competition, recording a debut 1:14.46 in One-Handed and placing 31st in 7x7x7 Cube, while Jade Chong made their speed cubing debut at the tournament by logging a 14.64 single in Clock.

The standard format events also produced thrilling battles in Sydney. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Jim Zhu of New Zealand took victory over a 55-person field with a winning average of 11.86 seconds and a best single of 9.93 seconds. Bryan Eng followed closely in second place with an average of 12.35 seconds, while Sora Sato secured third with 13.28 seconds. Spectators tracking standard 3x3 results across various side variants saw technical mastery on display, as solvers worked with one hand to control classic Rubik's Cube mechanics at extreme pace.

Two-handed solving on the big puzzles brought further success for Bryan Eng, who took the title in the 5x5x5 Cube event. Eng posted a winning average of 54.17 seconds, backed by a best single of 50.01 seconds, besting Thomas Liao who averaged 56.96 seconds and Terence Chenh who finished third at 1:04.76. Liao rebounded in the Square-1 event, topping a field of 41 competitors with a winning average of 8.57 seconds, finishing ahead of Daniel Wang who averaged 9.17 seconds and Nathan Adams who placed third with 11.78 seconds.

Across eight demanding events, Australian competitors secured 21 podium places, joined by 2 for New Zealand and 1 for Spain. Odd Sides in Sydney 2024 brought the 2024 season in the region to a thrilling peak, demonstrating how the unforgiving mean-of-three structure rewards composure just as much as raw speed. As solvers pack up their gear, the lessons learned from every single solve will undoubtedly set the foundation for the next round of competition.