The Big Cube Melbourne 2025

The warm interior of Mitcham Baptist Church hummed with focused concentration on October 11, 2025, as 109 puzzle enthusiasts unpacked timers, mats, and cases. Long journeys across the country and from overseas converged on Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, bringing together competitors from across Australia as well as international entrants from Vietnam and Iran. The single-day schedule compressed six rounds across three distinct events into a relentless test of memory, precision, and quick problem-solving.

The Big Cube Melbourne 2025 welcomed a wide spectrum of talent, from local veterans to long-haul travelers eager to test their skills at an official WCA competition. For many, reaching the venue meant early flights and long drives, trading the fatigue of travel for the sharp thrill of official speedcubing. As tables filled and timers initiated their green lights, the atmosphere quickly shifted into intense competitive gear.

At the front of the pack, Feliks Zemdegs of Australia secured two major victories. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube, Zemdegs led a massive field of 108 competitors through three demanding rounds. His winning average of 5.65 seconds stood atop the final standings, backed by the round's best single of 4.44 seconds. Fellow Australian solvers Tommy Kiprillis and Riley Dexter joined him on the podium, recording second and third-place averages of 6.89 and 6.94 seconds respectively.

The large-puzzle discipline of the 5x5x5 Cube delivered another commanding showing for Zemdegs. In a one-round shootout featuring 38 competitors, he locked in the gold with an average of 44.17 seconds alongside a top single of 40.64 seconds. Andy Gong took second place for Australia with an average of 51.82 seconds, while Riley Dexter claimed his second podium of the day, earning third place with a 53.78 average.

The Pyraminx event offered a showcase of lightning-fast mechanics across two rounds with 72 competitors. Ziqi Ding emerged as the champion, securing first place with an average of 2.40 seconds and posting the event's fastest single at 1.62 seconds. Charlie Handley pushed close behind to capture second place with an average of 2.46 seconds, while Emmet Hobbs rounded out the all-Australian podium in third with an average of 2.57 seconds.

Away from the podium battles, several solvers reached massive milestones that statistical summaries often leave in the margins. Jackson Quan cut his Pyraminx personal best down to 4.26 seconds, an improvement of 53.8 percent, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.80 seconds. Dash Nguyen shattered his previous 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube mark by 51.6 percent, clocking in at 13.19 seconds. Ethan Chhay entered three events, taking on his first official 5x5x5 Cube attempt with a time of 2:27.61 while improving his Pyraminx mark by 42.8 percent to 11.73 seconds. Bach Nguyen traveled from Vietnam to contest three events, earning ninth place in the 3x3x3 event and posting debut attempts of 15.95 on Pyraminx and 1:00.44 on the 5x5x5 Cube.

Other competitors marked essential career debuts and steep progression curves. Angelos Triantafyllou tackled three events, improving his 5x5x5 Cube best by 30.9 percent down to 2:28.31 and achieving 10.16 seconds in 3x3x3. Arvin Eshragh, competing from Iran, improved his Pyraminx mark by 35.8 percent to 6.95 seconds and reached 18.88 seconds in 3x3x3. Leon Godfrey logged two event debuts, recording 30.06 seconds in 3x3x3 and 8.51 seconds in Pyraminx, while William Marco registered his first Pyraminx result at 10.36 seconds and lowered his 3x3x3 best by 21 percent to 26.32 seconds.

A wave of official records further highlighted the depth of the 3x3 results during the day. Phoenix Patterson delivered a 7.37 single and a 7.92 average, while Toby Drew registered a 9.35 single and an 11.57 average. Other notable marks included Phoenix Pham with a 10.70 single and 12.95 average, Angelos Triantafyllou logging a 12.57 single and 13.07 average, Maisam Bilal posting a 12.60 single and 14.32 average, Eric Lai recording a 12.60 single, Josh Gereg finishing with a 13.54 single, Ashton Felsbourg scoring a 14.11 single, Arvin Eshragh logging a 18.88 single, and Swanik Ojha setting a 25.76 single.

As timers were packed away at Mitcham Baptist Church, the gathering concluded an exceptional single-day cubing competition. The Big Cube Melbourne 2025 demonstrated the enduring appeal of competitive speed cubing, where international travel and local dedication meet over shared puzzles, setting the stage for more ambitious solves in the seasons ahead.