Rio Nuevo Welcome 2023

Inside the halls of Colegio Rio Nuevo, the rhythmic clack of turning plastic echoed as dozens of competitors settled into their stations across two days of intense action. A field of 95 competitors gathered on August 19 and 20 for Rio Nuevo Welcome 2023, filling the Santa Cruz, Bolivia venue with focused energy. The lineup spanned 12 events across 20 rounds, testing both lightning-fast reflexes and long-form concentration at this premier WCA competition.

The larger puzzles demanded immense endurance, testing physical stamina and visual memory across several layers of moving mechanisms. In the big-cube division, Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto established complete control. Solving the complex 5x5x5 Cube across two rounds, he secured victory with an average of 58.72 seconds, backed by a best single of 54.19. Ignacio Mita Cabezas finished runner-up at 1:10.60, while Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez of Peru earned third with a 1:13.63 average.

The grueling 6x6x6 Cube tested six competitors in a single decisive round, and Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto again demonstrated remarkable pace to take gold with an average of 1:49.49 and a best single of 1:42.53. Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez followed in second place at 2:14.50, and Ignacio Mita Cabezas took third with 2:20.31. In the ultimate test of heavy puzzle handling, the 7x7x7 Cube, Sirpa Pinto completed the big-cube sweep, capturing the title in an average of 3:12.18, ahead of Ignacio Mita Cabezas at 3:45.11 and Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas at 3:54.42.

The classic 3x3x3 Cube drew the largest lineup of the weekend, bringing together 90 competitors through three rounds of speedcubing. Ignacio Mita Cabezas emerged triumphant in the final round with a winning average of 8.32 seconds, paired with a tournament-best single of 7.53 seconds. Axel Elias Espinoza Ribera took second place with an average of 9.15 seconds, while Adhemar Mizushima secured third place averaging 9.37 seconds in the official 3x3 results.

Ignacio Mita Cabezas also claimed first prize in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 35.30 seconds and a best single of 33.22 over two rounds, narrowly holding off Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto at 36.66 seconds and Samuel Galarce Moscoso at 37.54 seconds. Meanwhile, Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto expanded his weekend title tally by winning 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 14.61 seconds and Skewb with an average of 4.36 seconds, proving his versatility across varied formats.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones and personal bests that highlighted the depth of the field. Jose Antonio Ibarra Ovando entered four events, logging a 10th-place finish in Skewb, posting his first ever attempts in Pyraminx at 6.29 seconds and Skewb at 13.06 seconds, and cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 5.58 seconds, which was 76.2 percent faster than his prior mark. Fabio Balderrama Calle shaved 66.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 5.06 seconds and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 21.03 seconds. Amy Rhiliana Padilla Arce lowered her Pyraminx personal best to 6.72 seconds, an improvement of 60.4 percent, while Ruben Daniel Torrico Lujan logged a first attempt in Pyraminx at 17.52 seconds alongside a 34.2 percent improvement on the classic Rubik's Cube with 27.75 seconds.

The progress continued across various experience levels throughout the weekend. Juan Marcos Mercado Vaca improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 59 percent to 7.66 seconds, while Isaias Vedia Mendoza dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 52.7 percent down to 23.21 seconds. Juan Carlos Ortiz Velásquez entered three events and made substantial strides, recording a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 43.40 seconds, 46.5 percent faster than before, and a 2x2x2 Cube best of 5.03 seconds. Leandro Cuellar Justiniano tackled two disciplines, logging his first official attempt at Pyraminx in 19.16 seconds and dropping his 3x3x3 Cube personal record by 18.4 percent to 37.23 seconds.

The side events delivered further drama at Rio Nuevo Welcome 2023. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Samuel Maija Temo captured first place with an average of 2.81 seconds, while Ignacio Mita Cabezas took second with 3.09 seconds and Maicol Deimar Machaca Apaza took third with 3.12 seconds. Antonio Adorno Suarez won the Pyraminx with an average of 3.69 seconds, Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto claimed Megaminx victory with a 48.76 average, and Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas topped Square-1 in 19.48 seconds. Sebastián Morón Mariscal won 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a single solve of 2:02.69, completing a vibrant weekend of speed cubing in Bolivia as competitors look forward to the next season on the circuit.