Simple Sydney Sunday 2023

Cooper Holmes delivered a commanding performance to capture the premier 3x3x3 Cube title, securing victory with an 8.30-second final average and a standout single of 7.45 seconds. The high-stakes showdown at Marrickville Town Hall served as the crowning moment of a dense, action-packed schedule. Over the course of September 10, 2023, the single-day gathering tested the nerves and execution of every entrant across five distinct disciplines and eleven total rounds of competition.

Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Simple Sydney Sunday 2023 brought together 140 competitors who battled through deep brackets for regional bragging rights. The championship-style format offered zero margin for error across the rounds, drawing sharp performances across every puzzle category. With competitors striving to peak at the right instant, the venue in 2023 provided an electric setting for top-tier speedcubing where every fraction of a second reshuffled the overall leaderboard.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the program, with 138 competitors whittled down across three intense rounds of standard Rubik's Cube solving. Holmes stayed ahead of a relentless chasing pack in the finals, holding off Edward Rust, who claimed the silver medal with a 9.21-second average. Joshua Almanza earned the bronze position on the podium with a 9.55 average, putting finishing touches on an elite final round where consistency proved to be the ultimate differentiator.

In the 2x2x2 Cube event, Sebastian Lee showcased blisteringly fast turning to capture the gold medal with a winning average of 2.21 seconds, highlighted by a best single solve of 1.86. Holmes continued his exceptional day by taking second place with a 2.36 average, while Rust picked up another podium finish by taking third with 2.80. The short-format discipline drew a massive field of 116 entrants, requiring total precision across two rounds where any slight hesitation could instantly derail a podium chase.

The side events delivered equally competitive clashes across varied puzzle mechanisms. In Pyraminx, Andres Rodriguez of the United States topped a 112-competitor field with a winning average of 2.33 seconds, followed by Lee in second with 2.50 and Aneesh Sawant in third with 4.19. The Skewb title went to Almanza, who posted a 4.50 average to lead Rust at 5.60 and James Kirschner at 5.80. In Clock, Declan Flowers secured victory with a 7.41 average, besting Almanza at 8.99 and Rodriguez at 9.19.

Away from the top of the podium, the open cubing competition created memorable breakthroughs across the board as athletes produced remarkable personal bests. Hunter Sanchez made a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 3.39 result while slashing his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.95, which was 68.8 percent faster than his previous best of 12.64. Cloud Reyes logged a first Pyraminx attempt of 21.36 and improved his 2x2x2 best by 62.1 percent down to 8.64. Aidan Ong tackled a first Clock attempt with 28.06 and dropped his 2x2x2 mark by 40.6 percent to 5.21, while Kenta Duong took on five events, posting a 49.98 first Clock attempt and improving his 2x2x2 best by 63.1 percent to 4.61.

The breakthrough performances continued throughout the venue as competitors expanded their repertoires into unfamiliar disciplines. George Beattie registered a first Pyraminx mark of 11.88 and cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 41.8 percent to 22.65. Tyler Rule competed in five disciplines, recording a 21.17 in his first Clock run and improving his 2x2x2 time by 53.2 percent down to 5.19. Miller Liu posted a first Skewb attempt of 12.55 alongside a 32.2 percent drop in his 3x3x3 best to 25.91, while Daniel Chow took on four events, logging an initial 2x2x2 mark of 6.89 and a first Pyraminx result of 5.76.

Australia topped the medal tally by collecting 12 podium spots across the day, with the United States earning two and India taking one. The single-day tournament demonstrated the incredible depth of the speed cubing scene, offering an intense pressure test from the opening solves through the final rounds. As this WCA competition concluded, it highlighted both the veteran poise required to secure gold and the steady progression of competitors climbing the ranks for future tournament seasons.