Pedro Moncayo Open 2024

The cavernous floor of Coliseo 2000 Pedro Moncayo buzzed with activity on April 27, 2024, as speedcubing energy swept through Tabacundo, Ecuador. Solving mats lined the competition tables under the arena lights, while the steady clatter of turning plastic resonated off the stadium walls. The single-day event brought together 48 competitors who took part across seven distinct events and 13 intense rounds. Organizers and competitors gathered early to kick off a packed schedule, creating an electric sporting environment inside one of the canton's primary sports facilities.

The spotlight event of the weekend brought high-stakes drama to the tables during the Rubik's Cube rounds. Across three full stages of play, 44 competitors vied for top honors in the classic 3x3x3 Cube. Leonardo Fabricio Rivera Chamorro delivered the decisive performance in the final, securing first place with a 12.00 winning average and putting down a best single of 10.52. Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon claimed the runner-up position with a 12.42 average, while Santiago David Ulcuango Romero locked down the third spot on the podium at 12.86.

Beyond the main 3x3 results, Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas put together an extraordinary multi-discipline campaign, capturing three gold medals across varied formats. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Aldás Cuestas paced the 16-person field with a winning average of 45.69 and a single of 40.88, topping Ulcuango Romero (47.79) and Germán Daniel Beltrán Jarrín (55.45). Aldás Cuestas also captured the Skewb title with an average of 5.97, outperforming Beltrán Jarrín (8.02) and Alejandro Velasquez Torres (8.20).

Aldás Cuestas completed his gold-medal sweep in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where memorization and execution without sight yielded a winning average of 1:40.37 alongside a fast single of 1:24.28, leading James Montero (3:41.33) and Lady Mikaela Tapie Meneses (6:21.59). In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Santiago David Ulcuango Romero took top honors with a 20.36 average and an 18.07 single. Aldás Cuestas secured silver with 26.18, and Steven De la Cruz earned bronze with 26.49.

The 2x2x2 Cube competition featured some of the fastest hands in Tabacundo, Ecuador across three dynamic rounds. Raúl Gómez surged to victory with a blazing 2.31 winning average and a single of 1.66. Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon took second place averaging 3.16, while Aldás Cuestas added another podium finish to his tally with 4.05. Meanwhile, the Pyraminx saw Santiago Vacacela take the championship with a 5.78 average, followed by Beltrán Jarrín at 6.69 and Ariel Vacacela at 6.90.

Away from the top of the podiums, the cubing competition saw remarkable leaps from several participants across the board. David Miranda entered four events and posted significant personal bests, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube mark to 10.20, which was 46.5 percent faster than before, and dropping his 3x3x3 Cube single to 35.68 for a 45.3 percent improvement. Marely Tapie showed exceptional progress in Pyraminx with an 8.96 personal best, 43.2 percent faster than her prior mark, alongside a 14.21 on 2x2x2 Cube. Alejandro David Montesdeoca Yépez took on five events, improving his 2x2x2 Cube single to 2.77, a 31.6 percent drop, and secured a 4th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges on the arena floor. Jean Pierre Calderón tackled four events, making first-ever official attempts in 2x2x2 Cube (2.72), 4x4x4 Cube (1:19.49), and Skewb (21.62), where he finished 14th. Marco Alexander Díaz Cabascango registered his first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube with 1:25.90 and 3x3x3 One-Handed with 1:00.77. Adrián Fernández dropped his 2x2x2 Cube single to 6.99 and logged a 1:28.21 in his first one-handed attempt. Eduardo Gael Alvarez Arévalo notched an 8.92 personal best in Skewb, 29.3 percent faster than before, while Cesar Jair Celi Araujo improved his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 19.18.

The Pedro Moncayo Open 2024 served as an official WCA competition that highlighted the depth of speed cubing talent across the region in 2024. With all 21 podium positions swept by athletes representing Ecuador, the tournament demonstrated precision, versatility, and focus inside the vibrant hall of Coliseo 2000 Pedro Moncayo. As timers reset and brackets finalized, the event stood as a proud showcase of skill and community sport.

From the blindfolded solves to lightning-fast 2x2 sprints, the weekend delivered gripping moments across every single category. The organizers delivered a smooth, memorable slate that rewarded both seasoned finalists and ambitious newcomers as another chapter of competitive solving drew to a close in Tabacundo.