Salitre al Cubo Bogotá 2025

A single turning error or hesitation was all that separated the contenders in the premier 3x3x3 Cube round at Salitre al Cubo Bogotá 2025. In a dramatic finish where every solve shifted the leaderboard, Manuel Popayán sealed the victory with a winning average of 8.51 seconds, narrowly holding off Gabriel Santiago Velez Gonzalez, who finished runner-up at 8.89 seconds. Popayán also secured the fastest single solve of the event at 7.73 seconds, while Martin Castillo rounded out the podium in third place with a 9.28 average. The tense 3x3 results capped an intense day of competition at Centro Comercial El Edén in Bogotá, Colombia.

The one-day WCA competition on May 4, 2025, brought together 46 competitors across 11 official events and 11 rounds. The packed schedule tested endurance and technical skill across multiple formats, welcoming competitors from across the region to test their speed on the official stage. Colombian solvers claimed all 33 available podium positions during the event, demonstrating depth across everything from traditional twisty puzzles to specialty side events in the local speed cubing community.

Gabriel Santiago Velez Gonzalez delivered a massive performance across the wider roster, claiming top honors in six separate events. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Velez Gonzalez took the win with a 28.49 average and a single of 26.95, beating out Hector David Martinez Argaez at 34.30 and Manuel Popayán at 38.49. Moving up to the 5x5x5 Cube, Velez Gonzalez again secured gold with a 52.73 average, leading Martinez Argaez at 1:05.99 and Popayán at 1:11.64. His supremacy in big cubes carried through to the 6x6x6 Cube with a winning average of 1:28.46 and the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 2:15.20.

Beyond the heavy hardware, Velez Gonzalez demonstrated his versatility in the single-handed and non-cubic disciplines. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, he took first place with a 12.42 average, followed by Popayán in second with 16.08 and Martinez Argaez in third with 18.97. In Megaminx, Velez Gonzalez led the 26-competitor field with a 48.56 average and a best single time of 40.95 seconds. His consistent execution across various mechanisms proved unmatched throughout the long tournament schedule.

Fast finishes defined the shorter formats, where the margin for error was non-existent. In 2x2x2 Cube, Hector David Martinez Argaez secured the title with an average of 2.42 seconds, narrowly outpacing Manuel Francisco Beltrán at 2.69 and Juan Sebastian Mendez Llanos at 2.82. Martinez Argaez added another gold medal in Square-1, recording an 8.19 winning average ahead of Shanty Rodríguez at 15.99 and Dereck Samuel Marin Suarez at 20.48. In Pyraminx, Beltrán topped the 32-person bracket with a 2.61 average, while Diego Alejandro Camelo López claimed the Skewb title with a 2.94 average.

Behind the top steps of the podium, numerous competitors delivered breakthrough marks across the board. Juan Manuel Guzmán Acosta took on an extensive slate of 11 events, achieving a 15th-place finish in Square-1 alongside maiden tournament efforts in 7x7x7 Cube at 5:47.65, Skewb at 10.31, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 30.81. Edwar Leonardo Luz Camacho made substantial strides, slashing his Pyraminx personal best by 39.7 percent down to 8.12 seconds, improving his 3x3x3 Cube time by 12 percent to 17.11, and trying Skewb for the first time with a 9.87 mark. Gabriel Acero set a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:02.26, a 6.5 percent drop, while attempting Megaminx at 1:37.33 and one-handed solving at 31.35 for the first time. Santiago Vasquez Silva secured ninth in 3x3x3 Cube, improved his 4x4x4 Cube best by 12.6 percent to 50.42, and recorded first attempts in one-handed solving at 25.06 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:19.90.

The progress continued with Juan Carlos Velandia Holguin, who dropped his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 17.9 percent to 14.20 seconds, lowered his 4x4x4 Cube time by 4.4 percent to 1:15.45, and completed his first 5x5x5 Cube solve at 2:48.37. Emiliano Cufiño Davila improved his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 18.7 percent to 3.96 seconds on his way to 23rd place, alongside his first one-handed attempt of 56.64. Nicolas García Estrada took 22nd in Skewb with an initial attempt of 8.30 seconds, improved his Pyraminx mark by 13.3 percent to 9.94, and set a 3x3x3 Cube best of 13.84. Juan Sebastián Barbosa Piza placed fourth in 3x3x3 Cube, lowered his one-handed mark by 26.9 percent to 16.32, improved his Pyraminx time by 11.4 percent to 15.74, and registered his first 5x5x5 Cube finish at 1:51.66.

The competitive atmosphere throughout this cubing competition reflected the growing standard of play in Colombian speedcubing. Solvers managed the rapid succession of rounds across classic Rubik's Cube categories and complex puzzles alike, pushing each other to sharp times and memorable finishes. Salitre al Cubo Bogotá 2025 concluded having tested the full spectrum of competitive solving, setting a high standard for all who participated as they prepare for the next phase of the competitive season.

La velocidad y la precisión técnica marcaron la pauta en Salitre al Cubo Bogotá 2025, donde Gabriel Santiago Velez Gonzalez firmó una actuación memorable al conquistar seis victorias individuales. La cita reunió a 46 competidores en las instalaciones del Centro Comercial El Edén el 4 de mayo de 2025 en Bogotá, Colombia. A lo largo de una intensa jornada organizada bajo los parámetros oficiales de la World Cube Association, los participantes disputaron 11 eventos que pusieron a prueba distintas disciplinas de speedcubing y destreza mecánica.

El certamen principal de cubo de Rubik clásico vio a Manuel Popayán quedarse con el triunfo en 3x3x3 tras registrar un promedio ganador de 8.51 segundos y la mejor resolución de la prueba con 7.73 segundos. En una final muy disputada, Gabriel Santiago Velez Gonzalez obtuvo el segundo lugar con una media de 8.89 segundos, mientras que Martin Castillo completó el podio al marcar 9.28 segundos frente a un cuadro compuesto por 43 competidores.

El dominio de Gabriel Santiago Velez Gonzalez se extendió con contundencia a través de diversas categorías del torneo. Se impuso en 4x4x4 con un promedio de 28.49 segundos, superando a Hector David Martinez Argaez y a Manuel Popayán. En el cubo de 5x5x5 repitió la victoria con una marca media de 52.73 segundos frente a los mismos rivales. También lideró las tablas de 6x6x6 al promediar 1:28.46 y la de 7x7x7 con un registro de 2:15.20.

Completando su destacada cosecha, Gabriel Santiago Velez Gonzalez venció en 3x3x3 a una mano al promediar 12.42 segundos, relegando al segundo puesto a Manuel Popayán y al tercero a Hector David Martinez Argaez. En Megaminx alcanzó otra victoria con una media de 48.56 segundos. Hector David Martinez Argaez también se consagró ganador en dos modalidades, logrando el primer puesto en Square-1 con un promedio de 8.19 segundos sobre Shanty Rodríguez y en 2x2x2 con una media de 2.42 segundos.

Las restantes categorías de la competición entregaron actuaciones veloces en formatos reducidos y variantes geométricas. Manuel Francisco Beltrán aseguró la primera posición en Pyraminx tras promediar 2.61 segundos, superando en la clasificación a Jacob Goossens Celis y a Axel Juan Pablo Moreno Rodriguez. Por su parte, Diego Alejandro Camelo López conquistó el torneo de Skewb con un tiempo medio de 2.94 segundos, escoltado por Manuel Francisco Beltrán y Hector David Martinez Argaez.

Más allá de las primeras posiciones, la cita dejó progresos notables entre participantes que mostraron grandes saltos de nivel. Lorenzo Jimenez Wade-Murphy rebajó un 30.2% su marca personal en 3x3x3 a una mano hasta dejarla en 20.72 segundos y recortó un 22.1% su registro en 2x2x2 con 2.96. Juan Jose Reina Ospina mejoró un 28.8% su registro individual en Skewb con 26.51 segundos, mientras Nikolas Castrillon Rodriguez redujo un 20.5% su marca en Skewb con 10.72 y un 19.9% en 2x2x2 al parar el cronómetro en 7.10. Por su parte, Nestor Alexander Florez Landinez completó los 11 eventos programados, logrando su primer intento oficial en 7x7x7 con 5:10.57 y recortando un 10.2% en Megaminx con 1:08.46.

El certamen representó también el debut en una competición de cubos oficial para varios talentos locales. Issai Galvis asumió el reto de disputar 8 categorías en su primera aparición, registrando 54.18 en 3x3x3, 27.71 en 2x2x2 y 19.17 en Pyraminx. Antonio García Estrada completó sus primeros intentos oficiales con 7.59 en 2x2x2 y 36.68 en 3x3x3, finalizando en el puesto 34 en el cubo de dos capas. José Alejandro Santos Gutiérrez hizo su estreno oficial con un tiempo de 45.48 en 3x3x3, mientras Othman Alberto Mendoza Arenas selló su primer registro competitivo en el cubo clásico con 1:10.50.

Con 33 puestos de podio obtenidos exclusivamente por competidores de Colombia, Salitre al Cubo Bogotá 2025 cerró una jornada deportiva de alto calibre técnico en la capital. La variedad de pruebas y la regularidad mostrada por los atletas dejaron establecida la pauta competitiva para los próximos compromisos del calendario nacional de speedcubing en 2025.