Trondheim Cube Week 2023

Celine Tran delivered an unrelenting masterclass in big-cube stamina, securing an extraordinary sweep across the 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 cubes to define the tone of the tournament. Over six grueling competition days running from July 4 to July 9, 2023, speedcubing competitors gathered in Trondheim, Norway, at the Flatåsen skole, Nedre bygg. Managing the larger puzzles demands intense concentration and mechanical efficiency, qualities Tran displayed across all three rounds of each event. That sustained endurance culminated in a commanding victory in the 7x7x7 final, where Tran posted a winning average of 2:33.25 ahead of Kim Roger Haraldsen at 2:45.18 and Liam Uno Timour-Silveira at 3:03.02.

The heavy hardware requires precise piece alignment and exceptional finger endurance, and Tran proved completely unmatched across every tier of the big-cube roster. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Tran captured the top spot with an average of 53.57 and a best single of 50.63 against a field of 41 competitors. That momentum carried directly into the 6x6x6 Cube, where Tran secured gold with a winning mark of 1:34.09 alongside a standout single of 1:32.40 across three rounds. While shorter events often hinge on explosive bursts, these large-layer battles served as the true test of consistency and stamina at Trondheim Cube Week 2023.

The classic Rubik's Cube final brought its own dramatic intensity as 58 competitors battled through three rounds for the weekend's primary crown. Kim Roger Haraldsen dominated the 3x3 results, capturing the title with a swift 7.23 average and registering the fastest single solve of the entire event at 5.12. Haraldsen maintained an exceptional workload throughout the program, converting his speed into two additional victories across diverse formats. That versatile performance featured a 4x4x4 Cube triumph in 30.30 seconds and a tactical win in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with an average of 32.67 moves, highlighting an impressive spectrum of solving skill.

Short-format puzzles delivered rapid turnarounds and razor-thin margins throughout the schedule. Niklas Aasen Eliasson claimed four individual titles across the weekend, showcasing rapid versatility across distinct disciplines. Eliasson took first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 1.90 average after a blistering 1.08 single, besting Haraldsen at 2.16 and Filip Nilsen at 2.84. Eliasson also led the field in Pyraminx with a 3.52 winning mark, secured the Clock title with a 3.94 average, and topped the Square-1 podium in 12.44 seconds. Skewb action saw Hennie Færden claim the win with a 3.40 average, outpacing Eliasson at 4.24 and Conan Mo at 4.87.

Specialist solving extended beyond standard speed cubing into one-handed dexterity and memory trials. Knut Skaug Haraldsen captured the 3x3x3 One-Handed event with an average of 12.63 and a 9.71 single solve, while Håkon Fredriksen conquered the Megaminx division with a 45.24 winning mark. Memory-intensive categories saw Jacob Oliver Bruun claim the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a decisive 36.01 single, ahead of Konstantin Jaehne at 51.70. Callum James Goodyear took the 4x4x4 Blindfolded crown with a 12:45.00 average, while Philipp Habermann completed an impressive blindfolded campaign by winning the 5x5x5 Blindfolded solve in 23:10.00 and collecting 15 of 17 points in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their individual programs. Isak Pietari Hölsä generated major personal bests, cutting his Pyraminx mark to 5.18 seconds to finish 43 percent faster than his prior standard, while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 27.8 percent down to 3.48 and recording a first ever attempt at Skewb in 8.52. Finn Einar Brandsen took on 11 events, securing 14th place in 2x2x2 Cube, logging a first ever Clock attempt of 18.08, and slashing personal bests in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 19.99 and 4x4x4 Cube to 1:07.86. Even Lykke Værnes entered eight disciplines, dropping his Pyraminx personal best by 29.8 percent to 5.60 while recording debut attempts of 13.44 on Skewb and 8:09.93 on the 6x6x6 Cube.

The depth of the field was further illustrated by several competitors expanding their repertoires across new categories. Frøya Braanaas Bredland entered 10 events, finishing 28th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves while setting first ever marks in Megaminx at 3:25.98, Skewb at 43.32, and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:34.14. Joran Zurmühl stepped up across 10 events to take 23rd in the 2x2x2 Cube, logging initial career attempts of 13.93 in Skewb, 8:59.85 in the 6x6x6 Cube, and 58 moves in Fewest Moves. Andrew Macmillan contested nine events, registering debut marks of 9.44 in Pyraminx, 3:06.46 in the 5x5x5 Cube, and 10:04.00 in the 6x6x6 Cube. Pia Håvik Hansen took on seven events, recording first ever results of 9.99 in Pyraminx, 12.59 in Skewb, and 9:11.90 in the 7x7x7 Cube.

The 64 competitors generated high-level action across 17 distinct events and 43 individual rounds at this WCA competition. Host nation solvers captured 40 podium positions, with additional podium places earned by competitors representing Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The vast range of events gave every participant an extensive stage to test their preparation and problem-solving execution. With big-cube stamina, blindfolded accuracy, and standard sprint events sharing the schedule, Trondheim Cube Week 2023 demonstrated the full athletic diversity of modern cubing as participants concluded a demanding week of official competition.

Kim Roger Haraldsen leverte helgens mest imponerende prestasjon da han sikret seieren i 3x3x3 Cube med et vinnende snitt pa 7.23 sekunder og en fantastisk enkelttid pa 5.12 sekunder. Triumfen pa Flatasen skole, Nedre bygg satte standarden for en bemerkelsesverdig uke i Trondheim, Norway. Fra 4. til 9. juli 2023 samlet 64 utovere seg til en omfattende speedcubing-fest fordelt pa 17 ovingsgrener og hele 43 runder, der de norske deltakerne markerte seg kraftig pa resultatlistene.

Hjemmenasjonen stod for en massiv medaljefangst gjennom hele uken og sikret seg utrolige 40 pallplasser totalt. Til sammenligning tok Tyskland aatte pallplasser, Danmark fire, mens Storbritannia og Australia tok tre hver. Denne enorme bredden viste seg tydelig i flere ovelser der de norske deltakerne okkuperte samtlige trinn pa seierspallen, og bekreftet Norges sterke posisjon i internasjonal kubing.

I 4x4x4 Cube ble det ren norsk storeslem pa pallen. Kim Roger Haraldsen vant med et snitt pa 30.30 sekunder foran Knut Skaug Haraldsen pa 30.99 sekunder og Ulrik Bredland pa 31.95 sekunder. Haraldsen fortsatte suksessen med forstepremien i 3x3x3 Fewest Moves med 32.67 trekk i snitt, foran landsmennene Jakob Jernsletten og Filip Nilsen som begge noterte 35.33 trekk. I 2x2x2 Cube tok Norge nok et rent seierspall da Niklas Aasen Eliasson vant pa 1.90 foran Haraldsens 2.16 og Nilsens 2.84.

Niklas Aasen Eliasson herjet pa tvers av en rekke kategorier og tok hjem seieren i fire ulike grener. I tillegg til den lynraske 2x2x2-triumfen vant han Pyraminx med et snitt pa 3.52 sekunder foran Haraldsen og newzealandske Liam Wadek. Eliasson var ogsa best i Clock med vinnertiden 3.94 sekunder, samt i Square-1 der han lop av med seieren pa 12.44 sekunder. Hennie Færden sikret en norsk triumf i Skewb med et vinnende snitt pa 3.40 foran Eliasson pa 4.24 og australske Conan Mo pa 4.87.

De storre kubene ble fullstendig dominert av Celine Tran, som sikret en imponerende trippelseier. Tran vant 5x5x5 Cube med et snitt pa 53.57 sekunder, 6x6x6 Cube pa 1:34.09, samt 7x7x7 Cube pa 2:33.25 foran Haraldsen og Liam Uno Timour-Silveira. I 3x3x3 One-Handed vant Knut Skaug Haraldsen pa 12.63 sekunder, mens Hakon Fredriksen tok seieren i Megaminx med et snitt pa 45.24 sekunder. Blindfolded-grenene leverte ogsa hoy spenning, der Jacob Oliver Bruun vant 3x3x3 Blindfolded pa 36.01 sekunder foran Konstantin Jaehne og Conan Mo, mens britiske Callum James Goodyear vant 4x4x4 Blindfolded pa 12:45.00 og tyske Philipp Habermann tok 5x5x5 Blindfolded og 3x3x3 Multi-Blind.

Bak medaljekampen leverte flere utovere fantastiske personlige fremskritt som beriket denne kubing-konkurransen. Andreas Gudahl Tufte stilte opp i aatte ovelser og forbedret sin personlige rekord i 3x3x3 Blindfolded til 3:48.86, noe som var 43.4 prosent raskere enn hans tidligere bestenotering, i tillegg til store forbedringer i Megaminx og 3x3x3 One-Handed. Elvine Syvertsen-Wiig deltok i 12 ulike grener og senket sin personlige rekord i 3x3x3 Cube til 18.12 sekunder, en forbedring pa 26.1 prosent. Lukas Oksavik stilte i syv ovelser og kappet 32.2 prosent av sin personlige rekord i 3x3x3 Cube ned til 9.40 sekunder, samt solid framgang i Pyraminx pa 4.91 sekunder.

Flere deltakere oppnadde store personlige milepæler og debuterte i nye grener under stevnet. Ivar Strangstadstuen konkurrerte i 13 ovelser og forbedret sin personlige rekord i 2x2x2 Cube med 34.7 prosent til 2.54 sekunder. Jan Lucas Krane deltok i seks grener og gjennomforte sitt aller forste forsok i Pyraminx med tiden 14.26 sekunder. Pa sin aller forste WCA-konkurranse gjennomforte Mikael Øverland sine forste offisielle forsok noensinne i 2x2x2 Cube pa 7.66 sekunder, 3x3x3 Cube pa 19.25 sekunder og Clock pa 18.77 sekunder. Eiliv Landsem debuterte ogsa i offisiell sammenheng og noterte 41.55 sekunder i Rubiks kube og 10.36 sekunder i 2x2x2 Cube.

Seks intense dager med konkurranser pa Flatasen skole understreket det enorme engasjementet i det norske kubemiljoet. Med et bredt spekter av ovelser fra lynraske vridninger pa sma kuber til krevende memorering i blindekategoriene, viste deltakerne et imponerende teknisk niva. Trondheim Cube Week 2023 ble en stralende oppvisning i presisjon og fellesskap som setter solide spor etter seg nar forberedelsene til neste sesong starter.