Sunny Cubing Armenia 2024

Grigor Shahverdyan delivered an overwhelming display of dominance on home soil, securing six gold medals out of seven events to lead a fierce regional contest at the tables. The single-day tournament brought together 33 competitors across eight rounds of play, pitting local Armenian talents against sharp Russian contenders. Shahverdyan set the standard early and barely yielded an inch throughout the schedule, establishing his dominance in both classic twisty puzzles and specialized hardware.

Held on July 20, 2024, at Emili Aregak in Gyumri, Armenia, the gathering showcased the intensity of high-stakes speedcubing. The headline 3x3x3 Cube tournament tested every participant through two complete rounds of play. When the final 3x3 results were tabulated, Shahverdyan took the title with an exceptional 9.92 average, backed by the best single of the day at 7.82. Edit Betanian of Russia mounted a vigorous challenge, capturing second place with a 13.60 mark, while Armenia's Gevorg Melkumyan completed the podium with a 14.36 average.

The regional rivalry intensified across the larger puzzles and specialty events at Sunny Cubing Armenia 2024. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Shahverdyan once again locked horns with Betanian. The Armenian frontrunner posted a 39.83 winning average and a 37.77 single, fending off Betanian, who claimed the runner-up spot in 43.15, while Tigran Harutyunyan took third in 1:01.99. Betanian's two podium finishes represented the only silverware claimed by international contenders, as Armenian speed cubing representatives secured 19 of the 21 available podium places across the day.

The 2x2x2 Cube final showcased relentless speed from start to finish. Shahverdyan took gold with a 2.86 average and a 2.33 single, outlasting Mayis Jraghatspanyan, who claimed silver in 4.05, and Melkumyan, who earned bronze in 4.66. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, solving the traditional Rubik's Cube with a single hand required precise ergonomics, where Shahverdyan logged a 14.85 winning average. Jraghatspanyan followed in 23.38 for second, and Melkumyan took third in 30.48.

Beyond the title fights, personal breakthroughs defined the atmosphere of the cubing competition. Vahe Hakobyan achieved huge strides in his third career tournament, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 1:58.85 from 2:35.37 to go 23.5% faster, while improving his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 23.2% down to 19.82 alongside his first ever attempt at Skewb at 12.23. Zhora Verdyan made a massive leap on the main puzzle, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best to 26.51 from 39.74, a 33.3% improvement. Vahan Sukiasyan tackled six events, achieving a 5th place finish in 3x3x3 Cube and trimming his Pyraminx personal best to 14.07, 16.1% faster than his previous mark.

First-time competitors also made notable debuts on the official stage at Sunny Cubing Armenia 2024. Glak Gevorgian attended his first WCA competition, recording a best finish of 9th in Pyraminx with a 6.63 first attempt while also completing his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:53.11. Mary Nikolyan entered four events in her debut, reaching 5th place in Pyraminx with an opening 9.08 attempt and registering a 23.93 first effort on the 3x3x3 Cube. Artur Atamyan posted an 8.72 first attempt at Pyraminx, while Danyusa Gevorgyan secured 6th place in Skewb with a 9.06 debut single. Araik Atamyan took on five events, finishing 8th in Skewb while logging first attempts in Pyraminx at 10.34 and 2x2x2 Cube at 6.97.

The Pyraminx and Skewb competitions proved equally competitive down to the final solves. In Pyraminx, Shahverdyan posted a 7.37 winning average to narrowly edge Melkumyan, who finished second in 7.48, and Jraghatspanyan in third at 7.64. In Skewb, Shahverdyan locked up another gold with an 8.85 average, followed by Melkumyan in 11.46 and Taron Tavaratsyan in 11.98. The tight margins throughout these short-format events highlighted the precision required to secure top honors against a motivated field.

The only gold medal to elude Shahverdyan came in Square-1, where Vahe Oustakarayan turned in a standout performance. Oustakarayan captured the title with a 16.84 winning average and a best single of 11.71, relegating Shahverdyan to silver at 20.28, while Tavaratsyan claimed bronze in 41.09. Sunny Cubing Armenia 2024 concluded as a commanding demonstration of regional depth, leaving competitors from Gyumri and beyond with new benchmarks to chase in the next season.