Santo Domingo Summer 2024

A single solve separated triumph from defeat as the final rounds unfolded in Galeria 360 at Santo Domingo Summer 2024. Across two full days on July 13 and July 14, a field of 63 competitors took to the tables in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The centerpiece 3x3x3 Cube final went down to the wire, with Cristian Samuel Carrasco Peña securing the premier title behind a tournament-best 4.61 single solve and a winning average of 7.06 seconds across three demanding rounds.

The 3x3 results highlighted an intensely competitive podium where Henfry De Los Santos and Raimy Marte tied on identical averages of 10.40 seconds, placing second and third respectively. That narrow margin capped an electric weekend of speedcubing action that spanned nine distinct events and 14 rounds of high-level play. From lightning-fast twisty puzzles to intricate larger formats, the Rubik's Cube community in the capital delivered remarkable consistency under pressure.

Cristian Samuel Carrasco Peña doubled his gold medal haul by conquering 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a winning average of 13.16 seconds alongside an 11.90 single. Emil Francisco Solano Gil took second in that event with a 16.98 average, while Henfry De Los Santos rounded out the podium at 18.50. De Los Santos found his own redemption in the 4x4x4 Cube, claiming the top spot with a 39.59 average to narrowly outpace Amaury Miguel Caballero at 40.39 and Carrasco Peña at 40.89.

Beyond the main stage battles, the under-the-radar competitors wrote some of the most memorable stories of Santo Domingo Summer 2024. Kenichi Inuyama Genao delivered the biggest leap of the weekend by shaving 62.3% off his previous mark with a 10.10 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube, alongside a first ever attempt in Megaminx of 3:59.42. Jhony Adriel Pérez dropped his 3x3x3 Cube time by 46.5% down to 12.77 seconds. Leonaldo David Rodriguez Mendez improved his Pyraminx personal best by 43.2% to 3.85 seconds on his way to a fifth-place finish. Meanwhile, Gloria Mora achieved major personal bests across three events, cutting 35.6% in Pyraminx to 10.36 and 26.2% in 2x2x2 Cube to 4.89.

Other rising solvers embraced heavy schedules and novel events at the WCA competition. Sebastian Francisco Santana took on his first ever attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 58.86 seconds and dropped his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 17.7% to 11.08. Enmanuel Canario Mora tackled five events, achieving a fourth-place finish in Megaminx while logging first-time attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 3.64 and 4x4x4 Cube at 53.77. In their first ever official appearances, Víctor Aubree Gómez entered six events and placed fifth in 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.37 solve, while Luis Antonio Camacho Martinez tackled seven events, highlighted by a 3:46.40 Megaminx effort.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, Marco Jose Mercedes produced a masterclass in short-format solving, averaging a flat 2.00 seconds across the final round to seal victory over Raimy Marte at 3.78 and Venezuela solver Allegra Lozada at 4.46. Mercedes also posted an event-best single of 1.77 seconds. The speed cubing precision continued in Pyraminx, where Emil Francisco Solano Gil averaged 5.47 seconds to beat Jostin Garcia at 6.57 and Allegra Lozada at 6.83.

The larger puzzles belonged entirely to Amaury Miguel Caballero, who captured gold in both 5x5x5 Cube and Megaminx. Caballero posted a 1:09.85 average in the 5x5x5 Cube final, holding off Raimy Marte at 1:13.32, before pacing the Megaminx field with an average of 58.11 seconds and a 51.82 single. Gustavo Adolfo Farina Cabral and Luis Felipe Villamil Gil completed the Megaminx top three with averages of 1:14.15 and 1:14.20 respectively.

In the technical disciplines, Emil Francisco Solano Gil took top honours in Square-1 with an average of 13.55 seconds and an 11.39 single. The 3x3x3 Blindfolded division tested pure memory and discipline, where Martin Luciano Aybar secured victory with a successful single of 2:35.78, besting Joel Manuel Colón De La Cruz who recorded 3:17.77.

By the conclusion of Santo Domingo Summer 2024, host competitors from the Dominican Republic claimed 27 podium spots, alongside two podium finishes for Venezuela. The energetic gathering at Galeria 360 showcased both seasoned champions executing under pressure and newcomers pushing their personal boundaries, setting a high standard for the next cubing competition season in the region.