Stevenage December 2024

Inside The Forum, the focused rhythm of turning plastic, ticking timers, and high-pressure resets set the tone for an intense weekend of puzzle solving. Competitors and spectators gathered in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom over December 7 to December 8 for two full days of bracket progression. With multiple qualifying stages leading directly into high-stakes final rounds, every solve carried heavy consequences across the 18 total rounds. A substantial field of 187 competitors took to the tables, each determined to convert months of practice into decisive stage results.

The premier contest of the weekend saw 169 competitors enter the classic Rubik's Cube bracket, where four demanding rounds narrowed the field down to the finest speedcubing talents present. Poland's Tymon Kolasiński delivered a masterclass throughout the 3x3x3 Cube tournament, capturing the title with an astonishing winning average of 4.90 seconds alongside the competition's best single of 4.23 seconds. Ireland's Ciarán Beahan secured second place on the podium with a 6.69 average, while James Alonso of the United Kingdom claimed third place with a mark of 6.82 seconds in the final 3x3 results.

Kolasiński extended his supremacy across the bigger puzzles, leaving no doubt about his command over complex multidimensional layers. In the 4x4x4 Cube event, which gathered 109 entrants across two rounds, he took top honours with a 19.74 winning average and an 18.46 single, finishing ahead of Beahan's 25.80 average and Hong Kong's Ryan Chan at 31.86. Kolasiński completed a flawless trio of major titles in the 5x5x5 Cube, registering a 36.34 average and a 32.62 single over 91 competitors, once again leading Beahan in second with 43.11 and the United Kingdom's Murad Asgarov in third with 59.28.

Short-format speed cubing provided blistering excitement across four intense rounds of the 2x2x2 Cube, featuring 134 entrants chasing podium finishes. Max Tully of the United Kingdom captured first place with an extraordinary 1.42 winning average, supported by a rapid single of 1.07. Tully's victory came against fierce pressure from compatriot James Alonso, who claimed second place with a 1.55 average, and Ryan Chan, who took third on the podium with a 1.63 average. The high standard of execution throughout the rounds tested nerve and precision at every turn.

Away from the top of the podium, Stevenage December 2024 served as a launchpad for remarkable individual progression across multiple events. Reggie Leigh entered three events and delivered an enormous personal best of 4.53 seconds on the 2x2x2 Cube, an improvement of 67.4 percent compared to a previous 13.89, while also notching a 30.32 personal best on 3x3x3 Cube and a 21.59 personal best in Pyraminx. Jake Craig Watson tackled six events and achieved a 5.93 Pyraminx personal best to go 51 percent faster than before, paired with a 49.82 4x4x4 Cube best that was 43.3 percent faster and a 1:26.03 personal best on 5x5x5 Cube. Charlotte Goodfellow took on four events, logging her first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:28.39, while slashing her 2x2x2 Cube mark by 45.5 percent down to 4.65 seconds and improving her 3x3x3 Cube best to 21.67.

The breakthroughs continued as Jonah Winterhalder contested six events, registering a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 1:54.42 alongside a massive 44.4 percent Megaminx personal best of 1:57.52 and a 5.67 personal best on 2x2x2 Cube. Muhammad Hasan Ahmad entered three events and recorded a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 3.63 seconds while cutting his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 44.2 percent down to 15.04. Noah Tiller tackled three events, posting first ever attempts on 5x5x5 Cube in 2:20.70 and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:27.46 alongside a 14.48 personal best on 3x3x3 Cube that was 37.2 percent faster. Maksim Pribytkin Vladimirovich took on four events, completing his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:49.51 and achieving an 8.44 Pyraminx personal best, while Harry Shamash entered six events, posting a first ever Megaminx attempt of 1:49.65, a first 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 2:34.19, and a 29.5 percent faster 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:01.00.

Specialist categories demanded sharp tactical execution under championship rules at Stevenage December 2024. In the Pyraminx event, Oliver Hutchings of the United Kingdom edged a close field of 116 entrants with a 2.47 winning average, narrowly holding off Bo Forsell of Sweden at 2.50 and Dan Turner at 2.80. Megaminx challenged 74 solvers across two rounds, where Egypt's Ali Antar earned victory with a 46.20 average and a 39.45 single, clear of Hutchings in second at 50.22 and Germany's Amélie Dieterich in third at 52.05.

The weekend concluded with the deliberate, analytical challenge of 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, drawing 55 competitors into a single demanding round of problem solving. Rayan Islam of the United Kingdom secured victory with a best single of 22 moves, leading Jason Harley with 28 moves and Joshua Da Costa with 31 moves in an all-British podium sweep. Across all seven disciplines, the WCA competition produced memorable head-to-head battles and established new benchmarks for the participating athletes.

As the equipment was packed away and final standings were ratified, the host nation finished with 10 total podium places across the weekend, followed by Poland and Ireland with three apiece, Hong Kong with two, and Egypt and Sweden with one each. The rigorous multi-round structure at Stevenage December 2024 tested endurance and composure across every category. For the 187 participants who stepped up to the tables in 2024, the major cubing competition delivered the ultimate test of preparation and competitive resolve.