UCSD For Hemophilia 2023

174 competitors assembled at UC San Diego on June 3, 2023, turning an intense single day into a masterclass across five official disciplines. While quiet pen-and-paper challenges like Fewest Moves demand prolonged deliberate analysis, this high-energy speedcubing meeting relied on split-second execution and rapid turning. Across 11 total rounds, competitors faced a schedule dominated by raw pace and technical variety. The atmosphere inside the venue captured the purest form of modern tournament play, offering a direct contrast to the patient deliberation found in untimed FMC puzzle solving.

The primary spotlight of this WCA competition belonged to the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, where 173 entrants battled through three intense stages of elimination. Max Park delivered an exceptional showing in the final round, posting a winning average of 5.40 alongside the weekend best single of 5.19. Behind Park, Australia representative Anish Shanmugam secured second place with an average of 7.57. Zhouheng Sun of China matched that 7.57 mark to round out the podium in third, completing an elite set of 3x3 results at the top of the leaderboard.

Park extended his commanding form into the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which drew 111 competitors across three rounds. Handling the Rubik's Cube with singular precision, Park captured first place with an average of 9.20 and a best single of 8.36. Anto Kam of Hong Kong claimed the runner-up position with a 10.76 average, while Zhouheng Sun reached his second podium of the competition, securing third place with a mark of 10.95. The single-handed discipline tested endurance, finger dexterity, and fluid lookahead from start to finish.

The big-cube contest saw Park collect his third title of the day in the 5x5x5 Cube, which hosted 83 competitors in a direct final round. Park posted a winning average of 39.38 alongside a sharp single of 36.88 to finish comfortably ahead of the pack. Weixing Zhang of China earned second place with an average of 1:03.49, closely followed by Eric Yang of the USA in third at 1:04.52. Park sweep across standard three-by-three, one-handed, and five-by-five highlighted a relentlessly efficient day on the campus stage.

Away from the main stage podiums, the heart of the open field was defined by substantial personal milestones and bold breakthroughs. Justin Rhee took on a full five-event slate, registering a personal best of 3.03 in the 2x2x2 Cube to drop his previous mark by 58.1 percent, while also logging initial attempts in Megaminx at 2:22.05 and One-Handed at 58.96. Flynn Wang also tackled five disciplines, setting a 2x2x2 Cube best of 4.38 for a 30.3 percent improvement, alongside debut official efforts in One-Handed at 23.54 and Megaminx at 1:44.70. Nicholas Dorcas achieved personal records across multiple events, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube time to 5.16 by 42.7 percent and shaving 29.6 percent off his One-Handed mark with a 38.27, while recording a 3:31.23 in his first five-by-five solve. Preston Park contested three events, earning a 3x3x3 Cube best of 19.12 to improve by 23.6 percent while registering first-ever marks of 6.09 in the two-by-two and 4:03.47 on the five-by-five.

The momentum continued as Nora Y. Kester entered five events, recording a massive 44.1 percent drop in the 5x5x5 Cube with a personal best of 2:36.63, a 34.3 percent improvement in the two-by-two at 4.55, and a first Megaminx result of 2:21.60. Prajith Senthil Kumar from India completed all five categories, notching debuts in Megaminx at 3:17.58 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:42.39 while sharpening his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 9.00, an improvement of 13.4 percent. Caleb Leung recorded a 35.1 percent personal best of 4.96 in 2x2x2 Cube, lowered his five-by-five mark by 31.7 percent to 3:05.52, and completed a Megaminx debut of 4:39.33. Abby Newlander rounded out the notable improvements across four events by dropping her 2x2x2 Cube best by 57.6 percent down to 5.63, trimming her 3x3x3 Cube best to 27.18, and setting a first-time Megaminx mark of 3:22.25.

The 2x2x2 Cube featured 140 entrants across two rounds in a rapid test of scramble reading and explosive mechanical speed. Taiwan competitor Derek Hsieh clinched first place with a winning average of 2.30, bolstered by a best single of 1.57. Yuyang Zhen of China followed closely in second place with an average of 2.47, while Christopher Lai of the USA secured third place on a 2.52 mark. The short format left virtually no margin for error, with the entire podium separated by slightly over two tenths of a second.

Twelve-sided Megaminx solving rounded out the schedule, featuring 66 competitors over two rounds of play. Kyeongmin Choi of Korea won the event in dominant fashion, recording an average of 34.34 and a tournament-best single of 32.79. Ruby Lu took second place for the USA with a mark of 56.18, while fellow American Evan Ha claimed third place with a 57.34 average. Across all five disciplines, the podium distribution reflected a truly global gathering, with the USA earning seven places, China four, and Taiwan, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong taking one each.

As the final timers stopped, UCSD For Hemophilia 2023 concluded as an energetic celebration of speed cubing excellence in San Diego, California, USA. From the rapid-fire turning of the two-by-two to the extended visual complexity of the Megaminx, every discipline challenged participants to execute under tight tournament conditions. The single-day cubing competition served as a showcase of peak competitive speed, setting a benchmark for the regional community heading into the next phase of the competitive season.