Open de Gatineau 2025

Ryan Wu staged an almost complete sweep at Cégep Heritage, capturing four separate championship titles across five disciplines in a memorable display of speedcubing. The Canadian standout set the benchmark throughout Open de Gatineau 2025, topping podiums across both large cubes and specialty events. While local Canadian contenders locked up twelve podium spots, international pressure stayed fierce, highlighted by Indian rival Darshan Bhavanasi challenging Wu in three separate finals across the single-day gathering.

Held on June 7, 2025, in Hull, Quebec, Canada, the event brought together 65 competitors across 9 total rounds. The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest stood as the main arena for the clash between domestic favorites and traveling talent. Wu navigated three stages of the classic Rubik's Cube to post a winning average of 7.42 alongside a best single of 6.14. Bhavanasi secured the silver with an 8.79 mark, while fellow Canadian Breton MacDonald joined them on the podium with a 9.29 average, rounding out the official 3x3 results.

The regional rivalry between Wu and Bhavanasi intensified on the bigger hardware. In the single-round 4x4x4 Cube competition featuring 36 entrants, Wu clocked a winning average of 26.78 and a top single of 23.63, staying clear of Bhavanasi, who locked in second place at 31.02. Caleb Alonzo Martinez earned third place for Canada with a 35.89 average, reinforcing the depth of the local lineup across the larger puzzles.

That exact top-two dynamic played out again on the 5x5x5 Cube, where 27 solvers took to the tables. Wu posted a 57.11 average and a 51.50 best single to capture his third victory of the weekend. Bhavanasi pressed him closely, securing another runner-up finish with a sub-minute average of 59.11, while Martinez claimed his second bronze medal of the day with an average of 1:14.26.

Wu extended his command into the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, taking top honors among 29 entrants across two rounds. Managing tricky ergonomics, Wu registered a 9.97 single on his way to an 11.81 winning average. Canadian competitors Jack Chicoine and MacDonald rounded out the podium, recording averages of 20.61 and 21.92 respectively in a high-stakes two-round battle.

The one title to elude Wu came in Clock, where Jonathan Wang delivered a peerless performance across two rounds. Wang captured first place among 29 competitors with a winning average of 3.59 and a 3.19 single. Jonathan Proulx followed in second place with a 4.15 average, while Martinez earned his third podium finish of the day by securing third place with an average of 4.84.

Beyond the championship races, personal milestones defined the atmosphere of the WCA competition. Chloe Heymans logged a massive 48.9 percent drop on her 4x4x4 Cube personal best to hit 2:08.33, while also attempting 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 1:30.63. Michael Faviana shaved 46.5 percent from his 5x5x5 Cube mark with a new 2:27.28 personal record and cut 26.7 percent from his one-handed time with a 28.62 finish. Cedric Olszak took on five events, improving his one-handed best by 32 percent down to 25.40 and his 4x4x4 Cube best by 8.9 percent to 55.75. Evan Lalonde made his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a 3:48.80 and improved his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 28.3 percent down to 1:50.18.

Fresh puzzle disciplines also yielded standout debuts on the competition floor. Joshua Emmett Arcaro completed his first ever Clock attempt in 14.00 alongside a first 5x5x5 Cube result of 1:40.69. Twyla Renée McElroy entered four events, posting her first one-handed solve at 1:47.97 while slicing 15.1 percent off her Clock personal best down to 8.39. Marcel Martel took on five events at Open de Gatineau 2025, recording first attempts in Clock with 16.94, one-handed with 35.61, and the standard 3x3x3 Cube with 14.13. Avery Vallee Vezina entered their first WCA competition, competing in four events and setting initial marks of 58.14 in 4x4x4 Cube and 27.10 in one-handed.

The vibrant atmosphere across all five categories showed the strength of speed cubing talent coming through the Quebec circuit in 2025. With twelve podium places secured by Canadian contenders against skilled international challengers, Open de Gatineau 2025 delivered a sharp mix of top-flight rivalries and breakthrough personal milestones.

As the tables were packed away at Cégep Heritage, the solvers departed with fresh marks across nine rounds of intense play. With four wins for Wu, Clock mastery from Wang, and personal records tumbling throughout the field, this cubing competition in Hull highlighted the vibrant competitive energy fueling the sport across the province.