Turning in Townsville 2024

Jayden McNeill put on a masterclass in short-format solving at Heatley Secondary College, tearing through the 2x2x2 Cube final with a winning average of 2.74 seconds after dropping an explosive 1.68 single. The Australian standout set the pace from the opening round to the final across both premier sprinting categories. The two-day cubing competition, held across May 18 and May 19, brought together 26 competitors in Townsville, Queensland, Australia for an action-packed 2024 calendar fixture spanning 12 distinct events and 19 rounds of official competition.

The classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube division delivered the headline battle of the weekend as 26 entrants worked through three intense rounds. McNeill topped the final 3x3 results with an average of 9.49 seconds, anchored by the weekend fastest single of 8.17. Bailey Murdoch secured the runner-up spot on the podium with a solid 12.17 final average, while Ben Wakelin took third place with a 12.24 mark. The 2x2x2 Cube podium mirrored the sharp speed at the top of the table, where McNeill took gold ahead of Liam Pipia in second at 4.03 and Murdoch taking third at 4.04.

The shorter puzzles demanded split-second accuracy, and Turning in Townsville 2024 showcased remarkable precision on the smaller rotation puzzles. Liam Pipia captured the Pyraminx title, taking victory with a 3.96 average and a best effort of 3.07 seconds across two rounds of play. In Skewb, Ben Wakelin emerged triumphant with a winning average of 3.95 and a sharp single of 3.67 across 14 competitors. Both formats pushed competitors to eliminate pauses entirely, producing some of the most dynamic turns of the entire weekend schedule in North Queensland.

Beyond the quick sprints, Turning in Townsville 2024 tested endurance across a demanding range of big cubes and specialist disciplines. McNeill extended his dominance across multiple categories, claiming first place in 4x4x4 Cube with a 34.36 average, 5x5x5 Cube in 1:05.13, 6x6x6 Cube in 2:10.99, and 7x7x7 Cube in 3:34.94. He also added victories in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 13.48 and Square-1 with a 17.06 result, alongside a standout 3x3x3 Fewest Moves win with an average of 21.00 moves and a single of 20.

Specialised problem solving provided drama in the quietest room of the venue. David McLean claimed the 3x3x3 Blindfolded crown, navigating the mental memorisation and execution phases to register a winning single time of 1:29.68. Ming Dao Ting followed in second place with a single of 1:34.24, while McNeill earned third place on the podium with 1:36.75. McLean also performed strongly across the board, securing second place in both 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 37.00 average and 4x4x4 Cube with a 48.91 mark, as well as a third-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. Jackson Rogers achieved a Skewb personal best of 19.14 seconds, cutting 34.9 percent off his previous benchmark. Laura Ting tackled a massive slate of 12 events at the competition, securing a fifth-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube while cutting her Fewest Moves personal best by 26.7 percent to 33 moves, lowering her 7x7x7 personal best by 22.3 percent to 6:46.33, and improving her One-Handed best by 22.2 percent to 36.35. Tomi Nemaria took 28.6 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to finish with an 11.68 mark. Lilika Ohta dropped her 3x3x3 best by 15.3 percent to 23.28 and logged her first official 2x2x2 attempt at 6.45.

The gathering also welcomed fresh talent making their first official marks on the speed cubing circuit. Brent Fenlon recorded his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 58.30 while improving his Pyraminx personal best by 10.9 percent to 15.17. Logan New finished 10th in Pyraminx, posted a 2x2x2 personal best of 5.17, and logged his first ever Skewb attempt at 18.53. Samuel Flynn took on four events in his first WCA competition, recording initial marks of 5.59 in 2x2x2 Cube, 34.68 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 9.91 in Skewb. Ronan Flack also debuted at this WCA competition, claiming ninth in Pyraminx with an opening 9.66, alongside initial solves of 19.13 in 3x3x3 and 18.73 in Skewb.

As the weekend concluded, Turning in Townsville 2024 stood as a comprehensive demonstration of Australian speedcubing depth. Across 19 completed rounds, every podium spot across all 12 events went to Australian competitors, totaling 36 podium positions across the tournament. From first-time entrants completing their initial timed solves under the official spotlight to seasoned competitors logging sub-10 averages on the classic Rubik's Cube, the Townsville gathering highlighted the strength and broad technical range of the regional cubing community heading into the remainder of the season.