Villasol 2023

Forty-nine competitors gathered on June 18, 2023, turning Colonia Villasol into a battleground of sheer consistency and speed. Hosted in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the single-day schedule demanded sharp focus from the opening solves to the final showdowns. Across eight events and eleven rounds, advancing to a final required navigating a crowded field where every fraction of a second separated contenders from an early exit. The atmosphere at Villasol 2023 proved that qualifying for any concluding round was an achievement earned against stiff local opposition.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 48 competitors, making it the most heavily contested discipline of the entire cubing competition. Surviving the opening stage required flawless execution, setting up an intense second round where Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez secured victory. Batz Rodríguez captured the title with a winning average of 8.42 seconds alongside a tournament-best single of 7.99 seconds. Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado pushed hard to claim second place with an average of 9.12, while Javier Siquité locked down third with a 9.97 average, concluding the premier 3x3 results on a high note.

Javier Siquité stood out across the broader schedule by capturing four separate titles during the WCA competition. In the 2x2x2 Cube, which featured 34 competitors over two rounds, Siquité topped the podium with a 3.10 average, edging Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez who recorded a 3.14 average and Natalia Sosa who finished third at 3.46. Siquité also dominated the larger puzzles, securing first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 35.49 average and winning the 5x5x5 Cube with a mark of 1:10.87 ahead of Natalia Sosa and Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado.

Siquité rounded out his quadruple-gold performance by claiming the top spot in Square-1 with a winning average of 15.10 seconds, featuring a best single of 11.29 seconds. Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez answered with his own multi-event mastery, adding two more victories to his 3x3x3 triumph. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Batz Rodríguez took first place with a 15.01 average, while Siquité followed in second at 17.17 and Melendez Maldonado took third at 17.38. Batz Rodríguez then prevailed over 24 entrants in Pyraminx, winning with a 4.13 average ahead of Sergio Bulux and Pablo Say.

Specialist solving also highlighted the competition program, none more demanding than the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline. Solving the classic Rubik's Cube without sight requires memorisation and total spatial discipline, testing competitor composure under strict elimination conditions. Sergio Bulux took first place in the event, logging a winning single of 1:08.97. Adrián Ramírez secured second place with a time of 4:16.06, while competitors Héctor García and Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado were credited with third-place finishes following difficult blindfolded rounds.

Behind the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones that the overall scoreboards do not immediately reveal. Pablo Emanuel Say delivered a massive breakthrough in Pyraminx, setting a personal best of 4.34 seconds that was 47.6 percent faster than his prior mark of 8.29, while also taking on his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 44.53 single. Juan Andres Velásquez Morales chopped 46.6 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by clocking 13.73 seconds and registered his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 56.32. Luis Emilio Gabriel Rodas lowered his Pyraminx personal best to 4.88 seconds, an improvement of 44.4 percent, while Emilio Fernandez Álvarez completed his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:06.72 and his first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve in 1:06.22.

The progress continued with Uri Andrés Morataya, who cut his Pyraminx personal best by 42.9 percent down to 5.37 seconds and improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 34.3 percent to 4.43. Sofia Mariana Ramirez improved her Pyraminx personal best to 11.38 seconds, which was 45.3 percent faster than her previous 20.81. Diego Alejandro Quan Castillo made his official debut at this speedcubing tournament, competing in three events and recording a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 3.12 seconds and a 3x3x3 Cube single of 14.50. Raúl Alejandro Escobedo Aldana also completed his first tournament, taking on three events and posting a first ever attempt of 20.06 in the 3x3x3 Cube alongside a 6.46 in 2x2x2 Cube.

With 25 podium positions earned by local competitors representing Guatemala, Villasol 2023 offered a comprehensive exhibition of speed cubing excellence. From forty-nine entrants pushing the limits across eleven rounds to debutants laying their foundations in official competition, the one-day gathering set a high competitive standard for the region as the year moves toward its next season of challenges.