Vitesse Supérieure Montréal 2024

Elliott Kobelansky delivered the defining performance in Montréal, Quebec, Canada on April 27, 2024, by posting a blinding 16.11 single and a 16.54 average during the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event before locking down the title in the final with an 18.13 single. Memorising and solving the classic Rubik's Cube without sight requires absolute concentration, and Kobelansky set the standard on a packed day of speedcubing action at Studio PJE. Kai Wen Yang took second place with a 48.56, while Ben Bergen rounded out the blindfolded podium with a 51.20 single.

The single-day schedule of Vitesse Supérieure Montréal 2024 brought together 32 competitors to contest six events across nine fast-paced rounds. As the morning rounds got underway, solvers moved swiftly through specialty puzzles and big cubes, demonstrating the rich variety found at a modern WCA competition. Alongside the blindfolded showdown, the timetable challenged participants to balance rapid finger movement on turning puzzles with the distinct mechanics of mechanical novelties.

Maxence Leboeuf emerged as one of the most prolific podium contenders across the entire schedule. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Leboeuf clinched the gold medal by logging a winning average of 1:08.47 to edge out Darshan Bhavanasi, who finished second with a 1:09.58, and Ethan MacCharles in third at 1:11.11. Leboeuf carried that momentum straight into the Megaminx event, topping the field of 22 competitors with a winning average of 52.22 and a best single of 49.24. Bhavanasi claimed the silver with 56.14, and Anthony Gu took third place in 1:05.64.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, American competitor Louis Meunier set the pace with an outstanding winning average of 31.37 and a single of 29.30 across a field of 29 participants. Bhavanasi collected another silver podium step with a 36.34 average, while Leboeuf added a bronze to his tally with a 37.93 mark. In the Square-1 competition, Kai Wen Yang captured first place through two rounds, recording a decisive 15.59 winning average ahead of Leboeuf in second at 16.47 and Jack Chicoine in third at 17.09.

Jack Chicoine turned in a stellar showing in the Clock event, executing smooth maneuvers to post a winning average of 5.87 and a best single of 4.35 across two rounds. Darshan Bhavanasi secured his fourth runner-up finish of the day with a 6.41 average, while Leboeuf claimed third place with a 7.83 result. The dense schedule tested endurance, yet competitors consistently posted sharp times across all age groups and backgrounds throughout the afternoon speed cubing program.

Behind the top podium spots, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones that highlighted personal dedication away from the spotlight. Marc-André Hébert turned heads by shaving 44.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best down to 2:20.25, while also improving his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 14.6 percent to 49.27 and tackling his first ever attempt at Square-1 with a 28.54. Gabriel Hautot-d'Ivernois made his first ever attempts at Square-1 in 30.72 and Clock in 24.64, while dropping his 4x4x4 Cube best by 15.6 percent to 44.75. Jeffrey Vertefeuille improved his 4x4x4 Cube best by 21 percent to 1:57.35 and logged first attempts in Clock at 9.73 and Square-1 at 1:15.96. Samuel Lapointe cut 14.4 percent from his Megaminx best to finish in 1:48.09, improved his 5x5x5 Cube time by 6.3 percent to 2:02.98, and completed his first Clock attempt in 25.45.

The day also saw numerous solvers expand their repertoire into brand-new events on the official stage. Thomas Potvin-Breton took on five events, making his first official attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:20.77, Square-1 in 48.59, and Clock in 23.22. Daniel Bédard logged his first ever attempts at 5x5x5 Cube with a 2:57.76, Megaminx with a 2:20.91, and Square-1 with a 1:16.33. Antoine Riverin registered his first official blindfolded attempt in 4:56.04 alongside debut marks in Clock and Square-1, while Félix Gaudet successfully navigated a 5:32.66 first blindfolded single, an initial 20.57 Clock solve, and a 1:49.95 Square-1 attempt.

Overall, host nation Canada led the medal distribution with 13 podium places, followed by India with 4 and the United States with 1. With no traditional three-by-three event on the schedule, enthusiasts following along for standard 3x3 results found themselves captivated by the high-stakes execution across specialty puzzles and blindfolded solving instead. As the equipment was packed away at Studio PJE, the cubing competition concluded as a dynamic showcase of versatile talent across the Montréal community.