Solving In Sale 2024

A blistering 4.48 single from Feliks Zemdegs set the pace in the main event as Solving In Sale 2024 took over Catholic College Sale across April 6 and 7, 2024. The weekend produced an extraordinary flurry of personal progression, with 77 competitors travelling to Sale, Victoria, Australia to contest 21 rounds across 11 disciplines. Across every bracket, competitors delivered measurable personal milestones, turning the cubing competition into a showcase of individual progress alongside elite mastery.

The premier 3x3 results underlined the high technical standard at the gathering. Zemdegs captured the 3x3x3 Cube title with a dominant 6.08 average in the final round of the 76-competitor field, ahead of Riley Dexter with a 6.38 average and Phoenix Patterson on 6.72. The classic Rubik's Cube battle served as a fitting peak for two days of relentless speedcubing, matching sheer accuracy with split-second decision making under standard WCA competition conditions.

Firstian Fushada assembled an exceptional multi-discipline run throughout the program, taking top honours in three different formats. In Skewb, Fushada led the 53-person event with a winning 2.85 average and a 2.23 best single, holding off Patterson on 2.98 and Alex Butera on 3.64. Fushada also secured victory in Megaminx with a 38.77 average, finishing ahead of Zemdegs on 41.48 and Dexter on 47.80, and closed out Square-1 by logging a winning average of 8.34 from a field of 38 starters.

Dexter claimed the top step in the 2x2x2 Cube final, winning with a swift 1.77 average over Patterson on 1.95 and Jacob Joshi on 2.05. Patterson had earlier posted a standout 1.23 single and 1.56 average in the event. Meanwhile, Zemdegs collected three additional gold medals across the schedule, topping the 3x3x3 One-Handed lineup with an 11.01 average, winning the 4x4x4 Cube on a 23.58 average with a best single of 20.28, and conquering the 5x5x5 Cube via a 42.92 winning average.

Away from the main podium battles, several competitors registered massive reductions on their previous marks across multiple disciplines. Henry Tran tackled eight events over the weekend, lowering his Pyraminx personal best to 11.23, an improvement of 81.2 percent over his previous 59.76 mark, while also shaving 10.7 percent off his 3x3x3 One-Handed best down to 25.82 and clocking 2:15.12 in his first ever attempt at Megaminx. Emma Jackson took on a full slate of 11 events, trimming her Skewb best by 71.5 percent down to 2.66 and dropping her Square-1 record by 29.4 percent to 25.45. Andrew Mildenhall took on nine events, cutting his Skewb best by 40.3 percent to 7.69 and his Square-1 mark by 34.8 percent to 46.44. Josiah Levchenko brought his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down by 44.3 percent to 1.60 and claimed a 10th-place finish in Pyraminx with a 2.87 personal best.

The breadth of individual progress continued through the ranks of dedicated solvers. Michael Adams recorded a 1:04.46 personal best in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, a 60.1 percent leap from his earlier mark, alongside a 40.8 percent cut to his Skewb record at 4.43. Ben Jackson logged 11 events, executing his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a successful 2/3 in 22:31 while improving his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 20.6 percent to 2:42.52. First-time speed cubing entrants also made their marks, with Elijah Goodwin contesting five events at his first WCA competition to log a 31.36 3x3x3 single, and Gregory Welsford making his tournament debut with a 3:54.20 Megaminx effort and a 44th-place event finish.

The side events and specialty categories brought further decisive outcomes. Ziqi Ding secured first place in the 64-competitor Pyraminx contest, setting a winning average of 2.54 with a 1.48 single. Blindfolded solving events required intense memorisation and composure under pressure, where Michael Tripodi won the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final on an 18.58 single, leading Theodore Chan on 20.46 and Tam Quan on 22.32. Swami Srinivasan demonstrated remarkable endurance in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind discipline, solving 22 out of 28 cubes in 59:02 to best a field of 21 entrants.

By the conclusion of Solving In Sale 2024, the international representation reflected podium finishes across Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Ireland. The broad schedule of events offered a complete test of technical dexterity, nerve, and preparation, rewarding both podium finishers and solvers who set new benchmarks on their personal journey.