Te Atatū Newcomers Open 2024

A blistering 1.60 average in the 2x2x2 Cube final by Elyas Eyou highlighted a dynamic day of competition in Auckland, New Zealand. Across nine total rounds, the multi-stage advancement system tested endurance and nerve at every turn. Te Atatū Newcomers Open 2024 brought together 78 competitors on March 16, 2024, at the Te Atatū Peninsula Community Centre. With three full rounds scheduled for each discipline, competitors faced a rigorous schedule where maintaining consistency from qualifying heats to late-round finals proved to be the ultimate differentiator.

The 2024 gathering featured three core disciplines: 3x3x3 Cube, 2x2x2 Cube, and Pyraminx. Each event utilized a three-round progression, requiring participants to successfully manage their strategies across preliminaries, semi-finals, and finals. The layered format meant that single-solve brilliance had to be backed up by repeatable execution. Every round eliminated a portion of the field, placing high demands on concentration as puzzle turn counts decreased and the margin for error tightened throughout the single-day WCA competition.

In the classic Rubik's Cube, 77 competitors lined up for the opening round, making it the largest event on the schedule. Chris Mills navigated all three stages with precision, ultimately securing victory with a winning 3x3 results average of 6.31 seconds. Mills also delivered the fastest single solve of the entire discipline at 5.92 seconds. Richard Yiheng Tao earned second place on the podium with an average of 7.54 seconds, while Malaysia's Camerone Chin placed third with a mark of 8.80 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event presented an even more volatile contest across its three rounds, featuring 56 competitors. Elyas Eyou took the top spot with a 1.60 final average, having earlier produced a rapid single solve of 0.96 seconds in the event. Alexander Vujcich pushed the pace closely to take second place with a 1.75 average, while Ram Thakkar of India secured third on the podium with a 1.89 average. The tight times in the final round reflected how efficiently the field adapted to the quick-fire format.

Pyraminx action capped off the podium pursuits with 51 competitors battling through the three-tiered bracket. Elyas Eyou completed an impressive double victory by claiming first place with a 2.25 average and a best single solve of 2.07 seconds. Richard Yiheng Tao collected another podium finish by taking second place with an average of 2.47 seconds, followed by Ashley Foster in third at 2.68 seconds. Across the three official events, New Zealand competitors took seven podium spots, alongside one for India and one for Malaysia.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the three-round schedule. Eric Lu contested three events and dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.06 seconds, an improvement of 54.7 percent over his previous mark, while also registering a Pyraminx personal best of 9.77 seconds. Lucas Ablan made a dramatic leap in the 2x2x2 Cube, cutting his personal best by 53.4 percent to 6.87 seconds. Cameron Short lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 50.1 percent to 2.45 seconds and improved his 3x3x3 Cube benchmark by 26.2 percent to 10.65 seconds. Taiga Kitamura also showed massive progress, posting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.17 seconds, which was 43.4 percent faster than before.

The competition served as an ideal launchpad for newcomers and expanding repertoires. Wrendhez Calix Martinez Miranda advanced to an 11th-place finish in Pyraminx while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.55 seconds, a 40.7 percent drop. Timmy Chang tackled his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 5.94 seconds, alongside a 32.5 percent improvement in Pyraminx to 7.00 seconds. Abhiraj Saini logged his first ever attempts in both 2x2x2 Cube at 4.61 seconds and Pyraminx at 8.68 seconds. Ethan Ruoqing Chen completed his first WCA competition by recording opening marks across all three disciplines, including a 35.25-second attempt on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The structured multi-round setup proved essential in giving newer participants valuable tournament exposure while allowing top-tier talent to fine-tune their speedcubing execution. From early morning qualifying groups to the intense final heats, the event highlighted the depth of local speed cubing talent. Te Atatū Newcomers Open 2024 demonstrated how a focused three-event program with deep rounds can test consistency, reward personal progression, and deliver high-standard cubing competition across the board.