Stevenage April 2024

Forty-one competitors stepped up to face the ultimate test of memory and composure in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline as Stevenage April 2024 got underway. Blindfolded speedcubing demands pure, uninterrupted concentration, requiring solvers to memorise piece orientations before slipping on an eye cover to execute turns without sight. Across two rounds of intense focus at The Forum, British solver Adam Devere captured the title with a winning single of 46.95 seconds. Fellow countryman Jake Brown earned the second spot on the podium with a 1:10.92 single, closely pursued by Oliver Wheat, whose best single of 1:10.54 secured third place in a thrilling sightless battle.

Held across April 20 to April 21, 2024, the WCA competition brought together a substantial roster of 188 competitors to Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Over the course of 17 rounds across seven distinct disciplines, participants engaged in high-level Rubik's Cube matchups and side-event contests. The venue provided a bustling stage for UK speedcubers and international entrants alike, with national and continental talent sharing solving stations in Hertfordshire. With podium slots claimed across multiple nations, the weekend showcased the depth and technical mastery present across every category on the official schedule.

The traditional 3x3x3 Cube event drew the largest field of the weekend, featuring 175 competitors across three rounds. Poland's Tymon Kolasiński put on a masterclass in the final, securing the victory with a 5.15-second winning average. Kolasiński's standout performance extended throughout the rounds, including a remarkable European record average of 4.84 seconds. James Alonso claimed second place with an average of 6.76 seconds, while Alan Tan completed the podium in third with a 7.03 average. The final 3x3 results capped a weekend of rapid execution at the very pinnacle of international cubing.

Beyond the primary puzzle, Kolasiński continued his dominance on the big cubes, winning the 5x5x5 Cube category with a 38.68 winning average and a best single of 35.86 seconds over 97 contenders. Jake Brown secured his second silver podium of the tournament with an average of 57.45 seconds, while Sean Moran claimed third in 59.29 seconds. Moran returned to the spotlight in the Megaminx event, defeating 72 other competitors to take first place with a 35.67-second winning average, ahead of Matt Stephenson at 47.37 and Malaysia's Ainesh Sevellaraja at 48.06 seconds.

The mechanical variety of speed cubing was fully evident as solvers tackled the twisting challenges of Square-1 and Pyraminx. Fengyuan Kelvin Lou topped the 62-competitor Square-1 field with an 8.20 winning average, followed by Marcus Siu with 9.91 and Ainesh Sevellaraja with 10.18. In the Pyraminx final, Sweden's Bo Forsell earned the championship with a 2.50 average over 132 entrants, edging Nathan Olano who finished second on 2.73 and Oliver Hutchings in third on 3.11. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Nicholas Archer took the title with a 10.41 average, besting Louis de Mendonça and James Alonso.

Away from the main finals, the floor of Stevenage April 2024 was packed with breakthrough personal milestones. Oriol Rubi Schmack achieved a massive 72.2 percent drop in Pyraminx with a new best single of 9.09 seconds, while also trimming their 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 57.6 percent down to 28.91. Alex Smith similarly took a massive leap in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a personal best of 20.14 seconds to improve by 59.6 percent, alongside a first ever official 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 1:49.99. Purusauth Sivarooban improved their one-handed mark by 59.5 percent down to 27.64 seconds, while taking on first career attempts in both 5x5x5 Cube and Megaminx.

Other dedicated solvers embraced packed schedules across the weekend. Thomas Jones competed across seven events, posting a personal best finish of 24th in Pyraminx while recording first official attempts in Square-1, Megaminx, and Pyraminx. Scott Hunter improved his Pyraminx best by 51.5 percent to 5.94 seconds alongside first official tries on 5x5x5 Cube and Megaminx. Matas Pabreza cut his Square-1 time by 47.4 percent down to 23.89 seconds, Rayan Islam lowered his 3x3x3 Blindfolded mark by 43.7 percent to 1:50.85, and James Jarrett took on his first Square-1 attempt while improving his one-handed mark by 42.2 percent down to 21.53 seconds.

When the final timers stopped, the overall medal count reflected a dominant showing by local talent, with United Kingdom solvers earning 16 podium places, alongside two for Poland, two for Malaysia, and one for Sweden. From the tense, sightless solving tables to the rapid-fire turns of the standard puzzle finals, Stevenage April 2024 highlighted the extraordinary range of modern competitive solving. Competitors now look forward to applying their hard-earned personal bests and lessons learned in Hertfordshire to upcoming fixtures across the rest of the 2024 season.