SCZ Speedcubing Party 2023

Forty competitors gathered under one roof on October 15, 2023, as the Residencial Siles hosted a packed schedule of speedcubing action in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The single-day tournament tested solvers across six separate events, totaling nine rounds of high-pressure turning. Right from the early morning matchups to the late-afternoon finals, the atmosphere remained focused and intense as local talents stepped up to the timing mats.

The morning schedule set the tempo with opening heats in both the 2x2x2 Cube and the classic Rubik's Cube. In the 2x2x2 event, 29 entrants battled through two stages to secure a spot on the podium. Samuel Maija Temo delivered the standout performance in the final round, locking down the victory with an average of 2.60 seconds alongside a best single of 1.57 seconds. Rodrigo Paz Vaca and Maicol Deimar Machaca Apaza completed the podium, posting identical final averages of 3.34 seconds.

As midday approached, attention turned to specialty puzzles where precision and dexterity were put to the test. Antonio Adorno Suarez conquered the Pyraminx bracket, posting a swift 2.61 winning average and a single of 2.27 seconds to head the 20-person field. Samuel Maija Temo added another medal to his tally by taking second place with a 4.34 average, while Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas claimed third with 4.94 seconds.

The clock ticked toward the afternoon as the twelve-sided Megaminx and the mechanical Clock events got underway. Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto claimed top honours in the Megaminx category, navigating the complex face turns to post a 46.66 average and a best single of 41.45 seconds, finishing ahead of Ignacio Mita Cabezas and Alejandro Marze Rossel. In the Clock event, Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto held off the field with an 8.93 winning average, narrowly edging out Sebastián Morón Mariscal at 9.05 seconds and Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto at 9.28 seconds.

Beyond the hunt for hardware, the day proved remarkable for widespread personal milestones across the roster. Ana Lucia Aponte Ibáñez delivered a massive step forward in the main event, cutting her 3x3x3 Cube best to 47.45 seconds, which was 43.6 percent faster than her prior mark. Jesús Álvaro Tejerina Sosa took on four events, finishing 16th in Pyraminx with a personal best of 7.16 seconds that improved on his previous best by 40.1 percent, while also recording his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 49.26 seconds. Lucas Gabriel Medina Espinoza trimmed 37.5 percent off his previous 2x2x2 Cube record by clocking 5.80 seconds, and Zeze Thiago Agustín Siles Pérez registered his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 37.94 seconds alongside a 5.92 personal best in 2x2x2.

The progress continued throughout the afternoon across multiple experience levels at this cubing competition. Andres Villegas logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube with a time of 53.53 seconds. Amy Rhiliana Padilla Arce dropped her 3x3x3 Cube personal record by 21.2 percent down to 38.17 seconds, while Gloria Alejandra Ortiz Gutiérrez lowered her best in the same event by 20.6 percent to 31.34 seconds. José Daniel Mercado Vaca made significant ground in 2x2x2 Cube, logging a personal best of 4.66 seconds to show a 20.3 percent improvement.

The late-afternoon schedule brought the 3x3x3 One-Handed event to a dramatic finish. Rodrigo Paz Vaca demonstrated remarkable single-handed control across two rounds, seizing the top spot with a 13.11 winning average and an 11.93 single. Dylan Aramayo Calle earned second place with a 15.55 average, followed by Alejandro Marze Rossel who claimed the third-place spot with a 16.65 average.

The tournament reached its grand finale with the decisive round of the standard 3x3x3 Cube. Rodrigo Paz Vaca capped off an extraordinary day by winning his second gold, posting an average of 7.69 seconds and the competition's best single of 6.84 seconds. Ignacio Mita Cabezas secured second place with a 7.95 average, while Samuel Galarce Moscoso rounded out the podium at 8.90 seconds in the official 3x3 results.

With 18 total podium places swept by local contenders, SCZ Speedcubing Party 2023 wrapped up as an exceptional showcase of speed cubing talent in the region. The successful completion of this WCA competition provided both seasoned competitors and newcomers an ideal stage to establish benchmarks that will set the tone for the upcoming season.