Tramsheds I: Newcomer Saturday 2024

A blistering 7.25 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube cemented Bryan Eng at the top of the standings on March 2, 2024, capping a commanding display across the entire schedule. Taking place at the Harold Park Community Hall in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the action drew 111 competitors eager to test their solving speed. Eng set the tone early and remained a persistent presence near the summit throughout the one-day gathering, pairing his main-event victory with a runner-up performance in the secondary division to stand as the defining competitor of the day.

The 2024 cubing competition schedule kicked off with intense action across six total rounds of play. In the marquee Rubik's Cube category, Eng paced a packed field of 110 competitors through three rounds of elimination. His winning average of 7.25 was bolstered by a sharp 6.57 single solve, allowing him to secure the title ahead of fellow Australian challengers Sora Sato and Caleb Clark. The overall 3x3 results highlighted the quality of the final round, where Sato took second with a 7.97 average and Clark finished third with an 8.41 average.

Eng also left a major impression during the 2x2x2 Cube event, capturing second place overall behind winner Hans Lin. Lin claimed the top step of the podium with a sharp 1.89 winning average and a best single of 1.61 across three full rounds of solving. Eng closely followed with a 2.04 average, while Clark secured another podium spot by claiming third place with a 2.24 average. Lin and Eng led a competitive group of 93 competitors, ensuring Australian solvers swept all six available podium spots across the two events.

Beyond the finals, the 2x2x2 Cube rounds generated notable benchmark marks for multiple contenders in the field. Eng produced a 1.51 single and a 1.94 average during the competition, while James Kirschner logged a 1.59 single and a 2.18 average. Other strong times came from Thomas Liao with a 1.98 single and 2.80 average, Kent Thomson with a 2.01 single and 2.86 average, and Lin himself registering marks of 2.21 and 2.89. Clark added a 1.86 single and 2.90 average, while Canada's Colin Gawthroupe secured a 2.58 single and 3.21 average alongside entries from Sato, Noah Smith, and Jack McCarley.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved striking breakthroughs that stood among the most meaningful highlights of the gathering. Benjamin Rivas dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.40, marking a 64.3 percent improvement over his previous 12.34 mark, alongside a personal best of 33.03 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Tenuun Bulgantamir trimmed his 2x2x2 Cube best down to 1.08, which was 60.1 percent faster than his previous standard, while also lowering his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 7.38 and claiming 11th place. Laura Mac also surged forward, cutting her 2x2x2 Cube best by 49.4 percent to 5.31 and achieving an 18.66 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Euan Strachan rounded out these massive time drops with a 4.09 2x2x2 Cube best, improving by 44.9 percent alongside a 12.66 3x3x3 Cube single.

Other solvers embraced new territory by tackling unfamiliar disciplines or stepping onto the stage for the first time. Ho Hei Cheng (鄭皓熙) recorded a 3.67 in their first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube while cutting their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 40.1 percent to 12.01. Christopher Am logged a 6.76 in his first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube and posted an 18.67 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube. Hunter Bou produced an 8.28 in his initial 2x2x2 Cube attempt alongside a 32.31 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube. Jack Langley took on his first WCA competition, entering two events and completing first attempts of 48.73 on the 3x3x3 Cube and 14.16 on the 2x2x2 Cube.

The competitive atmosphere throughout the Sydney venue reflected the continued rise of speedcubing across the region. With two distinct events on the roster, solvers were required to pivot quickly between the rapid inspection sequences of the smaller puzzle and the technical complexity of the classic Rubik's Cube. The three-round format in both divisions demanded consistency under pressure, pushing every entrant to maintain focus as cutoff thresholds tightened toward the afternoon finals.

When the final puzzles were solved, Tramsheds I: Newcomer Saturday 2024 proved to be an emphatic showcase of consistency for Bryan Eng and an energetic platform for newcomers. The speed cubing community saw local Australian talent lock down the top honors while dozens of emerging competitors registered career-best times. With another high-energy WCA competition concluded at Harold Park Community Hall, participants now look forward to carrying their momentum into the next phase of the competitive season.