San Miguel de Ibarra Open 2024

Luis Fernando Aldas Cuestas delivered an extraordinary performance across the board in Ibarra, Ecuador, securing four separate event titles during a packed schedule on April 20, 2024. The organizational team, delegates, and dedicated volunteers at Unidad Educativa San Vicente Ferrer kept the tables running smoothly from morning to evening, facilitating 11 rounds across eight disciplines in a single concentrated day of action. Their meticulous staging made it possible for 42 competitors to register times, advance through brackets, and contest hardware in an efficient, welcoming tournament environment.

The San Miguel de Ibarra Open 2024 showcased the dedication required behind the scenes to run a smooth WCA competition. Running multiple events simultaneously while providing scrambled puzzles, judging, and accurate score entry requires constant coordination from officials on the floor. Thanks to their tireless work across 11 rounds, solvers of all skill levels had an ideal platform to test their techniques under official conditions, whether tackling the classic Rubik's Cube or branching out into specialty disciplines.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, Santiago David Ulcuango Romero emerged triumphant with a winning average of 10.95 seconds across the three-round competition, also delivering the round best single of 9.21 seconds. James Montero secured the runner-up spot on the podium with a 12.00 average, followed closely by Sebastian Joel Herrera Manangon in third with 12.31. Ulcuango Romero also captured gold in the 3x3x3 One-Handed division, posting a winning average of 20.16 seconds to finish ahead of Aldas Cuestas and German Daniel Beltran Jarrin.

The speed cubing talent was on full display in the shorter disciplines as well. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Raul Gomez claimed first place with an impressive 2.89 average, leading a competitive final where Herrera Manangon took second with 3.90 and Aldas Cuestas grabbed third with 3.93. The Pyraminx bracket saw Herrera Manangon rise to the top of the podium, capturing victory with a 5.65 average, while Ivan Alexander Bonilla Morales took second in 5.81 and Santiago Vacacela earned third with 6.19.

Aldas Cuestas dominated the remaining puzzle formats, demonstrating incredible breadth. In the 4x4x4 Cube, he won with a 46.58 average ahead of Ulcuango Romero and Ariel Vacacela. Aldas Cuestas then added titles in Skewb with a 5.83 average, Clock with an 8.33 average, and the demanding 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest with a winning single of 1:45.45. The blindfold discipline requires total memorisation and precision under pressure, and his successful solve secured his fourth gold of the competition ahead of Montero.

Beyond the championship podiums, the official scoreboards captured massive individual breakthroughs from competitors across the floor. Alan Ismael Chandi Jara produced major progress across three events, cutting his Pyraminx personal best to 7.30 seconds, which was 58.2 percent faster than his prior mark, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube single to 10.14 and 4x4x4 Cube time to 1:14.61. Richard Gomez took on six events and achieved a personal best of 10.59 in the 3x3x3 Cube, an improvement of 49.3 percent, alongside a fourth-place finish in Pyraminx and his first ever official 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:07.94. Jorge Toalombo lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 45.9 percent down to 5.73 seconds, while Matias Jose Pangol Benitez trimmed his 2x2x2 Cube best to 4.76, an improvement of 45.4 percent.

The tournament floor also saw several competitors tackle new puzzles for the very first time. Marcelo Gabriel Torres Garrido entered five events and recorded a Clock time of 14.53 in his first ever attempt, earning fifth place overall. Alejandro Gabriel Dominguez Jara completed his first official 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:56.22 while improving his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 8.9 percent to 7.86. Marely Tapie took on three disciplines, logging first ever attempts in both 2x2x2 Cube and Pyraminx with times of 22.68 and 15.78 respectively. First-time participant Miguel Alfonso Posso made his official speedcubing debut across three events, recording initial attempts of 15.88 in 2x2x2 Cube and 53.81 in 3x3x3 Cube.

From top-tier 3x3 results to the earliest steps of emerging solvers, the San Miguel de Ibarra Open 2024 stood as a testament to the community spirit fostered by event organizers and volunteers. Their seamless coordination across every bracket allowed dozens of competitors to challenge themselves, secure personal milestones, and celebrate the sport together in Ibarra throughout an unforgettable 2024 competition.