Pretoria Spring Afternoon 2023

Six rounds of focused speedcubing brought fast times to the Brooklyn Gereformeede Kerk Hall on November 25, 2023. A targeted group of 27 competitors gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, to contest a streamlined schedule of three disciplines. While the classic puzzle drew the largest field of the day, the niche categories gave multi-event standouts room to control the tables. The single-day WCA competition showcased exceptional dexterity across varied formats, highlighted by standout performances in one-handed solving and big-cube execution.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event opened the door for technical mastery, demanding smooth fingertricks and careful table control without the aid of a second hand. Osman Badroodin set the standard in the opening round before sealing top honors in the final with a winning average of 14.40 seconds and a best single of 13.04. Patrick Ellis claimed the second spot on the podium with a 17.00 average, while Shivaan Harichander secured third place in 19.79, ensuring a podium sweep for South Africa.

The precision required for single-handed solving translated directly into the larger mechanics of the 4x4x4 Cube, which drew 18 competitors across two competitive rounds. Osman Badroodin once again took the gold, posting a winning average of 37.74 seconds alongside the fastest single of the discipline at 32.82. Shivaan Harichander pressed closely behind to finish second with a 38.97 average, and Isaac Scheepers locked up the third podium spot by averaging 42.06 across five solves.

Gawie Beukman produced one of the most remarkable individual milestones of the competition, shaving massive time off his previous mark with a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 49.55, which was 80.2 percent faster than his prior best. Joshua Olivier tackled three separate events, recording his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:25.51, his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 30.98, and finishing 12th in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 15.50. Bjorn van der Nest also broadened his repertoire by logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 1:26.28 and a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 3:11.56. Mikhyl Singh delivered significant progress across two disciplines, lowering his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 33 percent to 57.85 and his 3x3x3 Cube best by 32.2 percent to 12.19 on the way to a 9th-place finish.

First-time appearances brought fresh energy to the tables as Munashe Michael Makwiramiti of Zimbabwe took part in his first WCA competition, entering all three events and logging a first attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 16.52, a first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 49.55, and a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 2:08.23 to place 16th in the main event. Marian Chishiri also completed their first WCA competition, recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 40.18. Pieter Cornelius Horne dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 33.7 percent down to 32.53, while Jacques Andre Horne achieved a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:21.30, which was 16.7 percent faster than his previous mark.

When attention shifted to the standard Rubik's Cube, Shivaan Harichander produced a dominant run to claim victory. Harichander registered the fastest single of the entire tournament at 6.69 seconds and secured the title with a winning average of 7.95 in the final round. Isaac Scheepers took second place with an average of 9.33, while Osman Badroodin completed a successful triple-podium afternoon by claiming third place with an average of 9.64.

The 3x3 results across the full 27-competitor field proved deep, with South African competitors capturing all nine available podium places across the three events on the roster. Harichander set marks of 7.47 single and 8.05 average, Scheepers posted 8.72 single and 9.30 average, and Badroodin turned in an 8.39 single and 10.68 average during the competition. Ellis, Marike Faught, Jan-Hendrik Hoogendyk, Ian Luies, Taariq Hassim, and Canada's Sasha Shepherd also contributed sub-18 averages to the final tallies.

The gathering in Pretoria highlighted the depth of speed cubing talent across specialized formats, proving that smaller schedules can produce intense racing. From one-handed technique to 4x4x4 speed, the competitors delivered high-caliber solves from the opening scramble to the final podium presentations.

With six full rounds completed across three distinct events, Pretoria Spring Afternoon 2023 served as an efficient and competitive display of regional solving prowess. The performances logged at the Brooklyn Gereformeede Kerk Hall set a high benchmark for the community heading into the next stretch of the competitive season.