Take Your Time Sydney 2024

Eighty-four competitors arrived ready for action as the organizing team and dedicated volunteers opened the doors at Kogarah High School. Staging a full two-day cubing competition across October 12 to October 13 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia required constant coordination from the delegates, judges, and runners managing nine rounds across eight separate events. Take Your Time Sydney 2024 ran with steady momentum from the opening turns to the concluding podium presentations, ensuring that every participant had an efficient and welcoming environment to test their skills in 2024.

The sheer variety of events demanded focused effort from the floor crew, especially with larger mechanisms requiring rigorous administration. Bryan Eng delivered a powerhouse performance across multiple big cubes, capturing three separate titles throughout the schedule. Eng won the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 31.37 seconds alongside a top single of 29.08. He doubled down in the 5x5x5 Cube, claiming victory with a 53.99 average and a 52.04 best single, outpacing Thomas Liao and Jamie Otsu.

Eng extended his dominant run to the 6x6x6 Cube, taking top honors with a 1:39.23 average and a 1:37.38 single to finish ahead of Jamie Otsu and Terence Chenh. Chenh would find his own moment at the top of the podium in the 7x7x7 Cube, recording a winning average of 2:39.22 and a best single of 2:33.93 across a field of 52 entrants. Harrison Jonathan Newbery-Chunn took second in 2:46.45, while Eng secured third in 2:50.96 to complete an exceptional weekend of big cube solving at Take Your Time Sydney 2024.

The competition schedule also showcased precision in specialized formats. Edward Rust topped Megaminx with an average of 36.91 seconds, besting Jamie Otsu by less than a second, while Peri Le Dain took third. In Clock, Otsu edged out Kyle Jones with a sharp winning average of 4.51 to Jones's 4.53, with Hans Lin securing third place. Thomas Liao secured the Square-1 title with a 9.25 average and a 7.05 single, finishing ahead of Daniel Wang and Nathan Adams.

Blindfolded solving provided immense drama, requiring silent concentration for memorisation and execution. Hans Lin led the 43 competitors in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, posting a gold-medal single of 19.31 seconds. Elias Chong followed in second with 24.53, while Jim Zhu earned third for New Zealand with a single of 37.85. Enthusiasts tracking overall 3x3 results across modern speedcubing disciplines were treated to rapid success here, as Australian athletes claimed 23 of the 24 available podium places across the weekend.

Away from the top of the podium, several solvers achieved dramatic personal breakthroughs on the official stage. Eli Norman tackled eight events and shaved 46.5 percent off his Clock mark with a new personal best of 13.99, while also dropping his 6x6x6 Cube best by 35.2 percent to 5:18.09. Nathan Tang delivered massive progress, posting an improvement of 42.5 percent in Square-1 for a 28.84 best, alongside a 38.6 percent cut in Clock to 19.01. Brandon Jo dropped his Clock personal best by 42.1 percent to 7.51 and completed his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:41.62.

First-time event entries highlighted the expanding versatility of the field at this WCA competition. Michael Song dropped his 5x5x5 Cube time by 34 percent to 1:29.89 and completed his first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube in 5:23.71. Christopher Mees improved his Clock time by 37.3 percent to 17.96 while logging a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 3:31.23. Anthony Trairattanasirikul took on eight events, making a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 5:43.47 and a 24.1 percent improvement on 6x6x6 Cube to 3:49.10. Ella Tan recorded a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 5:46.19, and Conrad Fong set a mark of 8.94 in his first ever attempt at Clock.

Every round required seamless organization from the local speed cubing community, keeping the pace brisk as dozens of Rubik's Cube variants rotated through the venue. Take Your Time Sydney 2024 stands as a testament to the collective effort of tournament staff, judges, and competitors. With eight events wrapped up and countless personal bests established, the community in New South Wales can look back on an exceptionally well-run weekend of competition before looking ahead to future fixtures in the next season.