Ottawa Spring 2024

The competition hall at Algonquin College was filled with focused intensity on May 4, 2024, as competitors settled behind the timers for an action-packed single day of solving. A total of 193 competitors gathered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, creating a buzzing atmosphere across 10 rounds of play. With five separate events scheduled throughout the day, the speedcubing community in the region turned out in force to test their skills and push their limits in front of the judges.

The lightning-fast 2x2x2 Cube and traditional 3x3x3 Cube events headlined the day, delivering remarkable speed and tightly contested finishes. In the 2x2x2 Cube event, Maxence Leboeuf took top honours among 158 competitors with a winning average of 1.79 seconds and a best single of 1.63 seconds. William Lavoie followed closely behind in second place with an average of 1.87 seconds, while Rémi Chrétien secured third place with a 2.35-second average.

The 3x3x3 Cube event drew the largest field of the weekend, featuring 188 entrants across three separate rounds of competition. Morgan Yeh dominated the final round, claiming victory with a stunning 6.37-second winning average and a best single time of 5.68 seconds. The final 3x3 results saw Leboeuf take second place with an average of 8.25 seconds, narrowly edging out Tin Huang, who finished in third place with an 8.35-second mark.

Beyond the main speed events, Morgan Yeh continued a winning run by taking first place in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 31.25 seconds and a single of 28.15 seconds. Diego Rodriguez-Ramirez claimed the runner-up spot in the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 32.63 seconds, while Tin Huang collected another podium position in third place at 35.29 seconds. The 103 competitors in the event made for an intense, direct single-round battle.

In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Elliott Kobelansky emerged triumphant against an 82-competitor field, logging a winning average of 13.77 seconds and the fastest single of 9.48 seconds. Adam McCormick took second place with a 15.41-second average, just ahead of Leboeuf, who finished third with 15.44 seconds. Leboeuf returned to the top in the Pyraminx event, taking the title with a 2.66-second average ahead of Darshan Bhavanasi and Reid Robblee.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Jonah Kolbe Sullivan delivered a dramatic improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube, setting a personal best of 2.18 seconds, which was 72.9 percent faster than his previous mark of 8.05 seconds, alongside a 28th-place finish in the 4x4x4 Cube. Sammy Narayan slashed his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 65.8 percent down to 4.14 seconds, while Keegan Morris improved his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 5.52 seconds, a 56.4 percent drop from his previous best.

Ethan O'Malley showed huge gains as well, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube time to 6.65 seconds for a 55.6 percent improvement while also logging his first ever attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube at 3:11.76. Lukas Léonard took on five events, improving his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 44.8 percent to 4.43 seconds and recording his first attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 36.70 seconds. Zackery Philippi reduced his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 43.2 percent to 26.46 seconds and placed 10th in Pyraminx. Miguel Matias Ruiz Amaya lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 30.4 percent to 13.44 seconds, and Sophia Warren achieved a 38 percent drop in Pyraminx with a new best of 5.75 seconds.

The competition also saw an international milestone on the scorecards during the 2x2x2 Cube rounds. Abdou El Barri I. H. Boudjeltia set an Algerian National Record average of 3.09 seconds during the event, matching it with a single solve of 2.72 seconds. In all, Canadian competitors captured 14 podium positions across the tournament, while India earned one podium spot courtesy of Bhavanasi in the Pyraminx final.

The smooth conclusion of Ottawa Spring 2024 wrapped up a high-energy day of classic Rubik's Cube solving and speed cubing across five diverse formats. From early morning heats to the late-afternoon finals, this WCA competition showcased the depth of local talent and individual growth. Participants now turn toward future tournament dates on the regional schedule with new personal bests in hand.