Stevenage January 2025

One hundred and eighty-seven competitors converged on The Forum in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom on January 25 and 26, 2025, creating one of the most densely contested weekends on the British calendar. Across 18 rounds and eight events, reaching a final round required surviving multiple high-calibre qualification stages. The sheer scale of the cubing competition ensured that every single advancement was earned through precision and consistency, as hundreds of solves narrowed down massive starting rosters to just a handful of finalists.

The standard classic Rubik's Cube drew a massive lineup of 170 competitors across three rigorous rounds. In the end, Nicholas Archer claimed victory in the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, posting a decisive winning average of 6.99 seconds alongside a tournament-best single of 5.53 seconds. James Alonso secured second place with an average of 7.06 seconds, narrowly edging George Scholey, who finished third with a 7.11 average. The official 3x3 results demonstrated how thin the margins were at the top of such a crowded field.

Nicholas Archer was not finished with his winning ways, doubling up with a dominant showing in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Navigating three rounds against 99 contenders, Archer posted a final average of 9.44 seconds and a single of 8.17. Kevin Gerhardt of Germany captured second place with an average of 12.23 seconds, while Monty Fox rounded out the podium in third with an average of 12.82 seconds. The one-handed event tested stamina and dexterity, requiring competitors to manage turning mechanics with a single hand under intense clock pressure.

Short-format speedcubing saw frantic action in the 2x2x2 Cube, which featured 140 entrants battling across three rounds. James Alonso took the title with a rapid 1.41-second average and a best single of 1.04. Dan Turner earned the silver medal with a 1.88 average, just ahead of Noah Calderon-Kamata in third with 1.89. The Skewb event also demanded absolute precision over three rounds of 104 competitors, with Spain's Jaime Calzado Gomez emerging on top with an average of 2.21 seconds, followed by Ariel Benchetrit at 2.34 and George Scholey at 3.08.

Mid-tier and complex puzzles presented equally tough challenges. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Kevin Gerhardt claimed first place with an impressive 26.08-second winning average, finishing ahead of Eli Jay's 29.88 and Cham J. Chambers's 30.75 in a direct 114-person single-round test. Eli Jay rebounded to take victory in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a winning mark of 2:20.85 to best Cham J. Chambers at 2:50.70 and Kevin Gerhardt at 2:51.51. Meanwhile, Fengyuan Kelvin Lou swept two specialty events, winning Clock with an average of 3.98 seconds and Square-1 with an average of 7.98 seconds.

Beyond the championship podiums, Stevenage January 2025 served as a proving ground for competitors marking personal milestones throughout the weekend. Vanessa Moran-Komissarova tackled four events, producing a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 5.33 seconds that improved on her previous mark by 56.8 percent, while also logging her first ever attempt at Skewb with a 13.76. Tymon Rudnicki registered an improvement of 56.3 percent on 2x2x2 with a 5.51-second personal best, improved his 3x3x3 mark by 37.5 percent to 20.15, and took his first official turn at Clock with an 18.17.

Progress continued throughout the lower brackets as Misha Prosyankin entered seven events, cutting 53.8 percent off his Clock mark for an 8.16 personal best, slashing 44.4 percent off his Skewb time to 3.23, and recording a first Square-1 attempt of 1:25.03. Elliott Soh achieved a 1.92 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube to beat his prior benchmark by 48.5 percent, alongside first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 55.72 and One-Handed at 24.49. Yassir Mathea took on seven categories, logging first tries at Clock with 11.14 and Square-1 with 18.46 while achieving a 19.74 in One-Handed, 35.7 percent faster than before. Jake Craig Watson tackled eight events, setting inaugural marks of 15.61 in Clock, 21.03 in Square-1, and 4:39.73 in 7x7x7 on his way to 20th place. Isabel Turner contested eight disciplines, recording a 34.1 percent Clock improvement to 13.32 as well as initial attempts of 47.25 in Square-1 and 6:38.24 in 7x7x7. Rafe Murray also completed eight events, cutting 28.8 percent off his One-Handed mark to reach 27.18 while securing first-time results in Square-1 at 55.67 and 7x7x7 at 7:24.21.

The overall medal distribution reflected strong international presence within a predominantly British field, with United Kingdom competitors collecting 19 podium finishes, Germany earning three, and Spain and Hong Kong securing one each. Delivering elite speed cubing performances across two action-packed days, this WCA competition demonstrated the depth of talent currently active across the region, closing out another memorable chapter for the local community.