Solar Open Mini B Santa Cruz 2024

The tables at Pollos Solar Suc. Av Santos Dumont buzzed with intense concentration as nineteen competitors lined up to begin a full day of puzzle solving. Set in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, the venue offered a lively backdrop for a packed schedule of speedcubing showdowns. Timers clicked rapidly on April 21, 2024, as hands flew across scrambled puzzles, kicking off an exciting one-day tournament filled with fierce cross-border competition.

A spirited regional rivalry emerged early at Solar Open Mini B Santa Cruz 2024, featuring top talent from across Bolivia alongside Peruvian standout Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez. Across five distinct events and six total rounds, local competitors defended their home turf while Sanchez mounted serious podium challenges in three separate disciplines. The clash pushed every solver to sharpen their turns as the two nations vied for supremacy in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

The classic 3x3x3 Cube contest, the focal Rubik's Cube main event of the day, required two rounds of high-stakes solving. Ignacio Mita Cabezas of Bolivia captured the championship with a winning average of 9.73 seconds, while Axel Elias Espinoza Ribera took second place averaging 10.34 and Adhemar Mizushima finished third with a 10.50 average. The 3x3 results also saw Mizushima produce the single fastest solve of the event at 7.44 seconds in the early stage, leading a field of 19 entrants.

Larger puzzles brought more intense head-to-head racing between the two countries. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Bolivia took the top spot thanks to Jhoan Jhunior Alvarado Balderrama, who secured victory with a 38.01 second average and a best single of 34.80. Peru gained ground when Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez clinched the silver medal with a 38.92 average, while Ignacio Mita Cabezas collected the bronze in 39.30 seconds during the single-round contest.

Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas commanded the 5x5x5 Cube, claiming gold for Bolivia with an average of 1:10.99 and a best single time of 1:06.72. The podium mirrored the international contest seen across the weekend, with Ignacio Mita Cabezas finishing second in 1:12.47 and Peru's Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez taking third in 1:15.36. The event tested stamina and pattern recognition across 6 competitors in a decisive final round.

Away from the top podium steps at Solar Open Mini B Santa Cruz 2024, several competitors delivered memorable milestones on the competition floor. José Dyland Molina Noha took on a demanding five events, earning a personal best 3x3x3 single of 9.97 seconds, which was 36.4 percent faster than his previous 15.68, while recording his first ever Pyraminx attempt in 17.02 seconds, his first Megaminx attempt in 1:50.05, and a 5th-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube. Hector Reyes Herrera tackled three events, finishing 6th in 5x5x5 Cube and dropping his 3x3x3 best to 20.33 seconds, a 17.4 percent improvement over his earlier 24.62. Santino Cuba Ponce de Leon took on two events, registering an 8th-place finish in Pyraminx with a first attempt time of 16.19 seconds.

Other dedicated solvers also carved out breakthrough moments at the cubing competition. Jorge Miguel Trigo entered four events, achieving a best finish of 5th place in Megaminx. Leonardo Kaleb Agreda Arroyo posted a 3x3x3 personal best of 15.33 seconds, shaving 6.3 percent off his prior 16.36, while Luis Rolo Medina Mamani improved his personal best to 22.43 seconds, 3.2 percent faster than his past 23.16 mark. Making their debuts in an official WCA competition, Cristhian Nuñez Guzmán completed his first 3x3x3 attempt in 14.26 seconds, and Jose Alejandro Chávez Tejerina registered his first attempt in 36.45 seconds.

The side events provided thrilling variety and fast times. Antonio Adorno Suarez led the Pyraminx field of nine entrants with a commanding 3.33 winning average and a 2.29 single, ahead of Peru's Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez in 5.31 and Bolivia's Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas in 5.98. In Megaminx, Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto delivered a stellar performance, winning with a 45.88 average and a 41.20 single, followed on the podium by Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas at 59.97 and Ignacio Mita Cabezas at 1:02.76.

When the final timers reset at Solar Open Mini B Santa Cruz 2024, the medal count stood at 12 podium spots for Bolivia and 3 for Peru. The gathering showcased the growth of speed cubing in the region, bringing together experienced medalists and fresh talent in an unforgettable day of friendly international rivalry in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.