Taiwan New Year Countdown 2024

A razor-thin margin of just four hundredths of a second decided the 4x4x4 Cube final, setting the tone for an intense battle of regional talent. Wei-Ming Zeng captured the title with a 26.72 winning average, narrowly fending off Yi-Jen Hsueh at 26.76. The showdown anchored Taiwan New Year Countdown 2024, held from December 31 to January 1, 2025, at the Sunnyinn Pingtung in Pingtung, Taiwan. Across two action-packed days spanning the end of the year, 24 competitors took to the tables in a high-stakes cubing competition featuring 6 events and 11 rounds of elite solving.

The tournament developed into a fierce duel at the top between Wei-Ming Zeng and Yen-An Chen, who split all six championships evenly between them. Chen established his dominance in the shorter formats, claiming the 2x2x2 Cube with a 1.99 final average and best single of 1.75, outperforming Yan-Hung Lai at 2.26 and Zeng at 2.93. Chen added a victory in Clock with a 5.87 average, leading Taiwan standout Liang-Zhen Lai at 6.01 and Macau representative Meng Chon Kuok at 6.56, before taking the Square-1 crown with a 6.95 mark over Yi-Ho Hsueh at 7.32.

Zeng answered with a masterclass across the larger mechanical challenges and specialty puzzles. In 5x5x5 Cube, Zeng locked down first place with a 50.96 winning average and a round-best 46.98 single, creating separation from Chen at 52.16 and Yi-Jen Hsueh at 52.84. Zeng then completed his triple crown in Pyraminx, logging an unbeatable 2.29 winning average and a 1.62 single to clear En-Tzu Lin at 3.06 and Jie-Yu Xie at 3.18. The balance of power between Chen and Zeng came to define the entire weekend of speedcubing at the venue.

Beyond the fight for trophies, the 2x2x2 Cube preliminary round generated a massive slate of rapid times across the roster. Yan-Hung Lai set the pace with a standout 1.50 single and a 2.00 average. Yen-Lei Jen delivered a 1.68 single and 2.14 average, while Chen posted a 2.18 single and 2.42 average. Further down the standings, Chao-Che Chung achieved a 1.77 single, Zeng registered a 1.62 single, Yen-Pin Xiao produced a 2.86 single, and Hong Kong entrant Albert So Yik Ban secured a 3.08 single and 4.27 average.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones that highlighted the depth of the field. Yu-Shi Tzeng, entering five events at their 52nd career tournament, earned a major personal best of 6.78 in Clock, cutting an incredible 55.7 percent from a previous mark of 15.31. Po-Ling Lin also demonstrated massive progression in Clock across five events, dropping from 15.95 to 9.50 for a 40.4 percent reduction. Yen-Lei Jen contested four disciplines, securing fifth place in 2x2x2 Cube with a 1.68 personal best while dropping their Pyraminx best by 34.7 percent down to 4.39.

First-time event entries and multi-event endurance brought further success across the board. You-Cyuan Wei tackled four events in their fourth career appearance, successfully logging initial tournament marks with a 6.28 in 2x2x2 Cube, a 1:14.06 in 4x4x4 Cube, and a 15.48 in Pyraminx. Ching-Cheng Hsieh registered personal bests of 3.14 in 2x2x2 Cube, 1:04.01 in 5x5x5 Cube, and 17.96 in Clock across five categories. Chung-Yao Chiang embraced the full slate by taking on all six events at their 73rd competition, earning a weekend-best 10th-place finish in Square-1.

The regional rivalry produced intense podium races throughout the weekend, resulting in 17 podium placements for Taiwan and one for Macau. The sheer range of disciplines challenged puzzle mastery across traditional twisty puzzles, geared clock mechanisms, and shape-shifting layers. While fans often look for classic 3x3 results or traditional Rubik's Cube staples, this specialized program rewarded deep technical proficiency. The high level of execution in Pingtung proved that every category demanded total precision under the official timer.

As the schedule concluded, Taiwan New Year Countdown 2024 cemented its place as a fitting conclusion to the 2024 season and an energetic start to the new year. Speed cubing in the region continues to flourish, with experienced veterans and emerging talents pushing each other to faster averages. Every round delivered intense pressure, whether deciding podium steps or establishing breakthrough personal marks. The strong performances at this WCA competition set a high benchmark for everyone as they look ahead to the next competitive calendar.

0.04秒的微弱差距，成為這場跨年魔術方塊大賽中最扣人心弦的瞬間。在屏東進行的四階魔方決賽中，曾唯銘 Wei-Ming Zeng 憑藉 26.72 秒的平均成績險勝薛以仁 Yi-Jen Hsueh 的 26.76 秒奪冠，為這場年末盛事寫下極具戲劇張力的註腳。這場緊湊激烈的對決展現了頂尖選手在高壓之下的穩定發揮，同時也為全場賽事拉開了高水準競爭的序幕。

這場名為 Taiwan New Year Countdown 2024 的 WCA competition 於 2024 年 12 月 31 日至 2025 年 1 月 1 日在屏東的 Sunnyinn Pingtung 舉行。賽事橫跨兩個年度，共吸引了 24 名選手齊聚一堂。在總計 6 個項目與 11 輪的激烈比拼中，各路好手在屏東展開了速度與技巧的全面較量。

除了四階項目的極限對決，曾唯銘 Wei-Ming Zeng 還在另外兩個項目中展現統治力。他在五階魔方項目以 50.96 秒的平均成績奪下第一，並在該項目做出 46.98 秒的單次最佳。隨後他在金字塔魔方項目中再次奪魁，以 2.29 秒的平均成績封王，單次最快達到 1.62 秒，一人在本屆賽事獨攬三座冠軍獎盃。

與曾唯銘分庭抗禮的則是陳彥安 Yen-An Chen，他同樣在三個項目中強勢登頂。在二階魔方決賽中，陳彥安以 1.99 秒的平均成績拔得頭籌，擊敗了賴彥宏 Yan-Hung Lai 的 2.26 秒。這項二階速解賽事競爭極為激烈，多名選手在各輪次中接連刷新個人成績，充分展現了短步驟項目的爆發力。

陳彥安 Yen-An Chen 隨後將勝利勢頭延續至魔表與 Square-1 項目。在魔表決賽中，他以 5.87 秒的平均成績奪冠，力壓賴良榛 Liang-Zhen Lai 的 6.01 秒以及來自澳門的郭明臻 Meng Chon Kuok。在僅有一輪定勝負的 Square-1 項目中，陳彥安以 6.95 秒的平均成績再添一冠，薛以和 Yi-Ho Hsueh 則以 7.32 秒收穫亞軍。

在頒獎台之外，多位實力派選手在 Taiwan New Year Countdown 2024 賽場上寫下了亮眼的個人突破。張祐瑄 Yu-Hsuan Chang 本次參加了全部 6 個項目，在四階魔方以 44.32 秒刷新個人最佳且進步達 5.8%，同時在五階魔方以 1:29.46 刷新個人最佳並提升 4.3%，最終在 Square-1 拿下第 7 名。倪君寶 Chun-Pao Ni 同樣報名 6 個項目，在魔表項目創下 11.63 秒的個人最佳，並在五階魔方拚出第 4 名的優異名次。

其他選手也在這場跨年魔術方塊競賽中展現全能身手。謝承諭 Cheng-Yu Hsieh 征戰 6 個項目，在魔表項目以 9.33 秒締造個人最佳並獲第 7 名。鍾肇哲 Chao-Che Chung 同樣報名 6 個項目並在四階魔方奪得第 4 名。廖子賢 Zi-Xian Liao 參加了 3 個項目，在五階魔方獲得第 7 名。林珈樂 Chia-Leo Lin 則挑戰全部 6 個項目，於 Square-1 取得第 11 名。

在兩天的競賽中，台灣選手共斬獲 17 座頒獎台席位，澳門選手收獲 1 席。無論是微秒之差的冠亞軍爭奪，還是多位選手突破自我的亮眼表現，Taiwan New Year Countdown 2024 都為 2024 年的 speedcubing 賽事畫上了圓滿句點，也為新一年的魔方運動開啟了充滿希望的新篇章。