Pretoria Spring Morning 2023

The Brooklyn Gereformeede Kerk Hall provided an inviting setting on November 25, 2023, as competitors from across the region gathered for a packed schedule of speedcubing. Folding tables lined the floor of the Pretoria venue, with timers, display mats, and cube covers laid out under the bright hall lighting. Solvers warmed up their fingers, turning side after side during practice routines before judges took their seats. The focused hall served as the backdrop for an energetic cubing competition in the heart of Gauteng.

A total of 40 competitors took part in Pretoria Spring Morning 2023, competing across four rounds in two different puzzle formats. With the season drawing toward its close in 2023, solvers arrived eager to challenge the timer and lower their official marks. The single-day tournament brought together both seasoned hands and enthusiastic newcomers to Pretoria, South Africa, each testing their pattern recognition and finger speed against the official World Cube Association clock across every solve.

The classic 3x3x3 Cube drew the largest contingent of the day, with all 40 participants contesting three rounds to decide the podium. Damian Jansen delivered an outstanding set of solves across the three stages of the event. In the final round, Jansen produced the best single time of the event at 10.58 seconds and secured first place with a winning average of 11.62 seconds. The display of quick recognition and fluent turning set the standard for the entire tournament.

The chase for the remaining podium spots in the 3x3 results was closely contested through the final round. Lethabo Moeti secured second place with a solid final average of 13.04 seconds, maintaining smooth execution through each solve. Markus Visagie completed the top three, claiming third place on the podium with a 13.77 second average. All three podium finishers represented South Africa, highlighting the local talent present on the competition floor.

Turning to the 2x2x2 Cube, 23 competitors tackled a single fast-paced round that demanded absolute precision. Markus Visagie claimed the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 4.80 seconds, anchored by a best single solve of 3.91 seconds. Lethabo Moeti followed closely behind in second place, posting an average of 4.92 seconds with a 4.13 single. Damian Jansen took third place with an average of 5.67 seconds and a 5.17 single, securing another top-three finish for South Africa.

Beyond the podium finishes, the real story of the weekend lived in the remarkable progress across the rest of the field. Ethan Zeeman achieved an outstanding breakthrough, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 16.92 seconds, which was 44.7 percent faster than his previous mark of 30.61, while also improving his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 29.5 percent down to 6.33 seconds on his way to ninth place. Maliha Mayet cut 32.4 percent off her previous 3x3x3 personal best to record a mark of 14.25 seconds for a tenth-place finish, while Kylem Knoetze took 31.9 percent off his 2x2x2 best to register 9.17 seconds. Gaur Radebe trimmed 27.4 percent off his 3x3x3 best down to 13.88 seconds and finished fifth in 2x2x2.

Several competitors also took on their first ever attempts at official events during this WCA competition. Michael Kahumba completed his first ever attempts in both events, securing fourth place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a single of 4.17 seconds and an average of 5.83 seconds, alongside an opening 3x3x3 single of 21.79 seconds. Sion van der Berg entered both puzzles, recording 7.30 seconds on his first 2x2x2 attempt and 35.53 seconds on his initial 3x3x3 solve. Stian Hunter Ferns registered a 17.58 second mark on his first 2x2x2 attempt and 24.20 seconds on 3x3x3, while Jayden Anderson achieved 20.06 seconds on 2x2x2 and 21.62 seconds on 3x3x3.

The intense speed cubing action throughout Pretoria Spring Morning 2023 demonstrated the depth of commitment among solvers tackling the Rubik's Cube in Pretoria. Across all four rounds of competition, participants pushed their personal limits and set new benchmarks. The gathering at the Brooklyn Gereformeede Kerk Hall delivered a day of memorable solves, leaving the local cubing community with plenty of momentum as the competitive calendar moves forward toward future seasons.