Ota Blind New Year 2024

Masato Fujiwara delivered a masterclass in sightless solving to open the 2024 season, logging a blistering 16.64 single and an unmatched 21.38 winning average in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Held at Ikegamikaikan Hall in Ota, Tokyo, Japan on January 20, 2024, the gathering drew 67 competitors across four specialized disciplines. Fujiwara set the pace for an extraordinary display of home dominance, leading a flawless charge where Japanese competitors secured all 12 available podium positions across every event on the schedule.

The single-day WCA competition brought together an array of puzzle specialists ranging from blindfold aces to dial technicians. Across four events and four total rounds, domestic contenders kept full command of the awards table, denying any visiting athletes a spot in the top three. The specialized focus on memory and mechanics turned Ota Blind New Year 2024 into a clinic of precision, establishing benchmark times and testing solver endurance at the highest competitive level.

In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded arena, which drew the weekend largest field of 50 competitors, Fujiwara stood alone as the sole solver to register a complete three-solve average. His winning 21.38 mark sat comfortably ahead of Hirotaka Ito, who secured the runner-up spot on the strength of a 26.93 best single. Tomoaki Sakuma rounded out the Japanese podium sweep in third position with a 28.73 single. The round proved challenging for the rest of the pack, as competitors pushed their limits to post quick singles amidst numerous incomplete averages in the 3x3 results ledger.

The marathon 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event brought 38 competitors to the tables for an intense battle of endurance and recall. Naoto Shinagawa took top honors with an extraordinary haul, solving 30 of 36 cubes within a time of 59:27. Fujiwara added another medal to his tally by claiming second place, successfully solving 20 of 24 cubes in an exact 1:00:00. Yuki Yamamoto earned third place on the podium by delivering 16 solved puzzles out of 17 attempted in a swift 46:16.

Yuki Yamamoto returned to the top step in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, where 19 competitors faced the monumental challenge of solving the larger Rubik's Cube completely from memory. Yamamoto posted a decisive winning single of 6:00.53 to capture the gold. Shota Wakabayashi secured second place with a time of 12:46.00, while Kai Yamamoto earned the bronze medal with a recorded 14:33.00, completing yet another all-Japan top three.

Beyond the championship battles, several athletes delivered remarkable milestones that went beyond the podium places. Zirui Wang posted the most dramatic single-event progression of the tournament in Clock, logging a personal best of 8.30 that was 57.7 percent faster than their previous best mark of 19.62 on the way to a 10th-place finish. Yasuhira Yamaguchi produced a substantial 32.4 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:55.72 personal best, while also making a first career attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, securing 19th place with an 8/13 result in 1:00:00. Kanako Eguchi took on three events, posting an 8.20 personal best in Clock that was 25.7 percent faster, trimming their 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 3 percent down to 53.40 for 11th place, and recording a first attempt in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 4/7 in 39:52.

Takahiro Kurosawa put together a standout double debut across two events, claiming 8th place in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 9/11 in 54:30 alongside a first-ever 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve of 1:11.78. Keisuke Okubo tackled three events, making first career attempts in both 3x3x3 Blindfolded with 1:38.86 and Clock with 10.11 for an 18th-place result. Reon Matsui navigated two events, securing a flawless 2/2 in 13:10 during a first attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind for 20th place alongside a first 3:15.39 solve in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Kazuhiko Kusano also completed debut runs in two categories, registering a first 17.33 in Clock for 23rd place and a maiden 5:47.19 single in 3x3x3 Blindfolded.

The lone non-blindfolded discipline of the day featured 33 competitors battling across the Clock event, testing dexterity and route planning. Wataru Takamiya captured the championship title with a rapid 4.66 winning average, supported by a blazing single of 4.05. Kai Yamamoto earned his second podium finish of the competition by taking the silver medal with a 5.51 average, while Shoi Hamaguchi collected the bronze medal with a solid 6.05 mark.

The clean sweep across all four events underscored the formidable depth of talent within the Japanese speedcubing scene. From high-speed dial turns to hour-long blindfold memorization marathons, the cubing competition showcased exceptional execution under strict competitive conditions. As speed cubing continues to evolve worldwide, the mastery displayed in Ota sets a towering benchmark for memory-based disciplines heading into the rest of the campaign.

Masato Fujiwara (藤原正人)が3x3x3 Blindfoldedで記録した単発16.64と平均21.38という圧倒的な数字が会場を大きく沸かせた。東京都大田区の池上会館 (Ikegamikaikan Hall)で開催されたOta Blind New Year 2024は、年明けの張り詰めた空気の中で開幕を迎えた。会場内には記憶力と正確性を研ぎ澄ますスピードキュービングの愛好家が集い、静寂と熱気が交錯する特別な一日となった。

2024年1月20日に行われたこの大会には合計67名の選手がエントリーした。Ota Blind New Year 2024の舞台となった会場は、目隠し部門を中心に極限の集中が求められる種目が揃い、各テーブルで息をのむ試技が繰り広げられた。全4種目4ラウンドの短期決戦において、選手たちは日頃の鍛錬の成果を遺憾なく発揮した。

看板種目の3x3x3 Blindfoldedには50名が出場した。この種目で頂点に立ったMasato Fujiwara (藤原正人)は平均21.38で優勝を果たした。2位には単発26.93をマークしたHirotaka Ito (伊藤大平)、3位には単発28.73のTomoaki Sakuma (佐久間智章)が入り、ハイレベルな表彰台争いが演じられた。

多数のルービックキューブを一度に記憶して解く3x3x3 Multi-Blindは38名が参加した。この難関種目を制したのはNaoto Shinagawa (品川直登)で、59:27のタイムで30/36という圧巻の記録を達成した。2位には1:00:00で20/24を揃えたMasato Fujiwara (藤原正人)、3位には46:16で16/17のYuki Yamamoto (山本祐輝)が続いた。

高難度の5x5x5 BlindfoldedではYuki Yamamoto (山本祐輝)が単発6:00.53の好タイムで堂々の優勝を飾った。同種目ではShota Wakabayashi (若林翔太)が12:46.00で2位、Kai Yamamoto (山本快)が14:33.00で3位に入った。また視界を使うClockではWataru Takamiya (髙宮径)が平均4.66、単発4.05で見事優勝を収めた。

公式の競技記録の陰には、自己の限界に果敢に挑んだ選手たちの素晴らしい奮闘があった。Masashi Kurasawa (倉澤将司)は3x3x3 Blindfoldedで従来の4:59.53から46.3パーセント短縮する2:40.86の自己新をマークした。Shogo Yamamoto (山本匠悟)も同種目で2:03.46から45.6パーセント更新となる1:07.19を叩き出し、18位に入る躍進をみせた。Junhao Jin (金俊昊)は3x3x3 Blindfoldedで13.2パーセント短縮の1:08.42を記録したほか、初の3x3x3 Multi-Blindにも挑んで8:55で2/3を成功させた。

さらにMahiro Tanaka (田中万尋)は3種目に挑み、初挑戦となった3x3x3 Multi-Blindで48:17の6/10を揃えた。Yusuke Katayama (片山悠介)も同じく3x3x3 Multi-Blindへの初挑戦で48:54の4/7を記録した。初のWCA公式大会参戦となったRyuichi Hayase (早瀬龍一)は3x3x3 Blindfoldedの初試技で2:28.65を記録して29位に入り、同じく公式戦初出場のRuizhi Qian (钱睿之)はClockに挑んで30.44を残した。

Ota Blind New Year 2024では日本勢が全12の表彰台枠を独占する強さを見せた。Clockの表彰台には2位のKai Yamamoto (山本快)と3位のShoi Hamaguchi (濱口翔偉)も名を連ね、会場は大いに盛り上がった。Ota, Tokyo, Japanで開催された今回のWCA大会は、記憶の限界に挑むキューバーたちの熱戦とともに新年の素晴らしいスタートを飾った。

池上会館の静穏な環境の中で開催されたOta Blind New Year 2024は、選手一人ひとりの集中力と情熱が結実した一日となった。キューブ競技大会の歴史に刻まれる確かな記録とともに、選手たちは次なるシーズンへの確かな手応えを得て会場をあとにした。