Skewb Wins Panamá 2024

Inside the International School of Panama, the rhythmic clicking of plastic pieces and the soft thud of hands hitting timer pads set the pace for a packed day of solving on May 18, 2024. Competitors, judges, and supporters gathered across the venue in Panama City, Panama, watching displays update to the hundredth of a second. Every solve mattered as 46 speedcubers tested their preparation across eight rounds of head-to-head action in five official disciplines.

The sheer intensity of the tournament came into sharp focus during the battle for the podium steps in the classic Rubik's Cube event. While Miguel Ángel Hernández captured first place with an impressive 9.23 winning average, the duel right behind him delivered the closest margin of the tournament. Egdar Castillo took the runner-up spot with an average of 11.15, edging Josué Ahmed González by a mere four hundredths of a second as González settled for third at 11.19. In an event where blink-of-an-eye moments decide rankings, the 3x3 results showed just how tight competition can be.

Beyond that photo-finish clash, Hernández enjoyed an exceptional day on the competition floor, completing a premier double victory. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Hernández separated himself from a 28-competitor field to claim the title with a 15.80 average and a single of 13.65. Juan David Pérez followed in second place with a 19.19 average, while Josué Ahmed González earned his second podium of the meet by finishing third at 19.81. Hernández also authored the fastest single solve of the entire standard 3x3 contest, locking in an 8.71.

The 2x2x2 Cube division produced historic marks for the country alongside high drama. Misael Peñafiel stood atop the podium after posting a winning average of 3.53 in the finals, backed by a best single of 2.95. Earlier in the rounds, Peñafiel reset the record books by securing a national record average of 2.90 alongside a personal mark of 2.38. Juan David Pérez took the second podium spot with a 4.08 average, narrowly beating Ezequiel Cedeño, who finished third with a 4.38 mark.

The namesake discipline of Skewb Wins Panamá 2024 brought out 23 competitors across two rounds, where Josué Ahmed González delivered a commanding performance to claim the championship. González recorded a winning average of 5.91 and logged the best single solve of the event at 4.23. Egdar Castillo captured the silver position with an average of 6.77, while 2x2 winner Misael Peñafiel rounded out the podium in third with an 8.51 average.

The day also saw demanding mental execution in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, an event requiring precise memorisation before competitors pull on a blindfold to complete the solve without sight. Frederick Zuñiga navigated the single round to take first place with a time of 2:07.68. Josué Ahmed González finished in second place with a time of 2:11.38, less than four seconds behind Zuñiga, while Isaac Muñoz earned third place with a 3:17.50 result.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Jorge Mario De Gracia Isaza delivered a standout breakthrough, recording a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.89 that cut his previous mark of 14.00 by 79.4 percent, while also making his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a time of 56.98. Joseph Garzon Perez dropped his 2x2x2 mark by 64.8 percent to 6.52, improved his one-handed mark by 35.7 percent to 44.64, and notched an 18.94 personal best in 3x3x3. Emma Roux slashed her 2x2x2 best by 41.5 percent down to 11.77, and Dylan Enrique Herrera Hidalgo shaved 28.1 percent off his 2x2x2 personal best to hit 3.79 while taking on Skewb for the first time with a 9.15 finish.

First-time event attempts and debuts brought plenty of excitement throughout the cubing competition schedule. Isaías De León Rodríguez made his first attempts at both 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.54 and 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 3:38.41 to finish fourth, while improving his 3x3x3 time by 20.5 percent to 13.63. Fernando Álvarez tackled 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 33.08 and 2x2x2 with a 6.96, alongside a 22.9 percent reduction in his 3x3x3 personal best to 15.63. Joseph Paul Castillo Vega completed his first one-handed solve at 36.15 while taking on five events, and Junior Cedeño marked his first one-handed attempt with a 24.89 to place ninth overall.

For the speed cubing community in Central America, the single-day gathering provided an efficient display of organisation and high-level execution across every bracket. With Panama sweeping all fifteen podium placements on offer, Skewb Wins Panamá 2024 highlighted the depth of talent emerging from local clubs and regional tables. As the 2024 season progresses, the marks set at the International School of Panama stand as an exciting benchmark for every competitor preparing for their next official WCA competition.