Richmond Rumble 2024

The gymnasium at Kingswood Elementary School hummed with focused energy on April 13, 2024, as competitors leaned over timing mats and inspected their puzzles. Solving stations filled the hall in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, drawing an active lineup of 81 solvers ready to put weeks of practice to the test. Across five disciplines and eight rounds of action, the gathering delivered sharp turns, quick inspections, and intense showdowns at the solving tables.

The fastest events of the day took center stage, beginning with a fierce battle in the 2x2x2 Cube. Through two competitive rounds featuring 77 entrants, the podium margins came down to fractions of a second. Michele Cavezza captured the title with a winning average of 2.78 seconds, narrowly holding off Peter Barnwell, who finished second with an average of 2.80 seconds. Kyle Santucci completed the podium in third place with an average of 2.83 seconds, after Cavezza also delivered a blistering 1.84 single earlier in the event.

The traditional Rubik's Cube main event proved equally gripping across three full rounds of 3x3 results. Kyle Santucci delivered a masterclass in the final round of the 80-competitor field, securing first place with a winning average of 6.56 seconds alongside a best single of 5.60 seconds. Ethan Rusnak claimed second place with an average of 7.14 seconds, while 2x2 champion Michele Cavezza earned third place with a 7.96 average in a display of top-tier speedcubing.

Santucci was not finished with just the two-handed 3x3x3 Cube victory. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, where 50 competitors tackled the single-handed challenge across one round, Santucci topped the standings again. He took the win with an average of 12.56 seconds and a fast single of 10.01 seconds. Kenny Zhong placed second with an average of 14.79 seconds, followed closely by Ethan Rusnak in third place at 16.29 seconds.

Beyond the shorter sprints, Richmond Rumble 2024 showcased longer, more complex puzzles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Jack Anderson of the United States secured victory among 57 competitors with an average of 31.32 seconds and a single of 29.00 seconds. Lucas Kuczaj claimed the second spot on the podium averaging 32.85 seconds, while Noah Stelting took third with 38.81 seconds. In the twelve-sided Megaminx event, Kuczaj captured the title with an average of 31.79 seconds and a 29.09 single, finishing ahead of Anderson in second at 51.50 and Rahi Mirmonsef in third at 52.13.

Away from the podium battles, several under-the-radar competitors achieved major milestones on the competition floor. Owen Zong recorded an enormous breakthrough on the 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 3.39 seconds, which was 65.5 percent faster than their previous mark of 9.83, while also logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 2:30.06 and a first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed. Yoann Aulard-Macler dropped their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 56.7 percent down to 24.40 seconds and achieved a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 14.02 seconds. Praveen Mohadevan took on five events, logging a 35.3 percent improvement in 4x4x4 Cube with a personal best of 1:06.05 and completing a first Megaminx attempt in 2:56.48. Haris Carpenter cut 29 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube mark to reach 3.55 seconds and registered a first Megaminx solve of 3:26.18.

Other dedicated solvers marked important career firsts across the schedule. Aaditya Kudva tackled five disciplines, setting a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 38.57 seconds, a 29.7 percent improvement, alongside a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 3.99 seconds. Sullivan Bennett improved their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 16.9 percent to 22.20 seconds and logged a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:05.06. Mason Gray improved their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 21.4 percent to 58.86 seconds and posted a first Megaminx attempt of 2:15.59. Jeremy Dong took on three events, achieving a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 19.04 seconds, a 15.5 percent drop, and completing a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:12.38.

The one-day WCA competition brought together solvers from multiple nations, with Canadian competitors capturing 12 podium positions, alongside two for the United States and one for Iran. For everyone gathered at Kingswood Elementary School, the cubing competition served as an exciting showcase of precision, personal growth, and speed cubing skill that wrapped up an unforgettable day in Richmond.