Slovenian Nationals 2024

One hundred and twenty-one speedcubers gathered for three days of intense competition at Slovenian Nationals 2024. Held at Osnovna šola Zreče in Zreče, Slovenia, from August 23 to 25, 2024, the weekend featured sixteen events and thirty-three rounds of solving. The schedule demanded endurance, as competitors tackled a wide range of puzzles, from the classic Rubik's Cube to the complex 7x7x7 Cube. The atmosphere was focused as cubers tested their skills against the clock, aiming for personal bests and top podium spots.

The 3x3 results highlighted the peak of speed cubing at the event. Dávid Szabó from Hungary claimed victory in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 7.76 seconds and a best single of 6.59 seconds across four rounds. Alwin Federsel of Austria took second with an 8.10-second average, while Ukraine's Michael Liubarets secured third at 8.16 seconds. The field of 110 competitors made the 3x3x3 Cube the most popular event of the weekend.

Blindfolded events showcased the incredible memorisation and execution skills required in modern speedcubing. Jakov Srečković of Croatia dominated the 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning average of 26.97 seconds and a best single of 20.84 seconds. He also triumphed in the gruelling 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, scoring 36 out of 49 cubes in exactly one hour. Matej Bolta of Slovenia won the 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a best single of 4:52.52, while Kacper Paweł Dworak of Poland took the 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a 22:54.00 single.

Beyond the main podiums, the cubing competition saw remarkable personal achievements from competitors pushing their own limits. Bruno Di Renzo John entered fourteen events and secured his first attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, successfully solving 2 out of 3 cubes in 23:54. He also recorded a massive 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best of 3:29.77, which was an incredible 74.8 percent faster than his previous best. Luka Milotić competed in seven events, logging his first ever attempts at the 4x4x4 Cube and Skewb, while slashing his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.25 seconds, an improvement of over 50 percent.

The progress continued across the field as cubers tested new events. Marcel Žibret entered eleven events, recording his first ever attempts at the 5x5x5 Cube, 7x7x7 Cube, and Clock. Tian Hren competed in twelve events, attempting the 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 Cubes for the first time, and improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 47 percent to 39.57 seconds. Julijan Virag logged his first attempts at the 5x5x5 Cube and 3x3x3 One-Handed, and Jan Kardoš completed his first Clock and 3x3x3 One-Handed solves while dropping his Pyraminx personal best by 43.6 percent to 7.92 seconds.

The fast-paced 2x2x2 Cube event saw Hungary's András Orbán take first place with a winning average of 1.73 seconds and a best single of 1.37 seconds. Pyraminx and Skewb were both won by Slovenia's Jakob Kitak, who averaged 3.13 seconds and 3.77 seconds respectively. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, David Vujasić of Croatia won with a 13.87-second average, besting Marcel Ručigaj and Taiyo Berčič.

Big cube events required sustained focus and precise turning. Taiyo Berčič of Slovenia secured victories in both the 4x4x4 Cube with a 32.57-second average and the 5x5x5 Cube with a 58.02-second average. Oskar Vidiček won the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:52.20, while David Vujasić took the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 3:00.68. The larger puzzles tested the competitors' stamina during this WCA competition.

Other notable results at Slovenian Nationals 2024 included Benedek Szepesi-Réder winning Clock with a 5.20-second average and Markus Otten taking Megaminx with a 44.36-second average. Marcel Niedl won Square-1, averaging 12.47 seconds. The diverse range of events at Slovenian Nationals 2024 ensured that speedcubers of all specialties had a chance to shine, concluding a memorable weekend of competition in Zreče.