Welcome to Olympia 2023

A razor-thin margin of five hundredths of a second decided the premier event of the weekend as Sameer Aggarwal claimed first place with a 6.61 average on the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, edging out Max Siauw at 6.66. Across nine rounds of intense action at Olympia High School, the single-day gathering gathered 125 competitors to test their turning speed across five distinct puzzles. Held on April 29, Welcome to Olympia 2023 delivered rapid turnarounds and sharp rivalries throughout the full schedule in Olympia, Washington, USA.

While speedcubing often draws spectators for rapid-fire dexterity and the mechanical hum of turning plastic, the technical discipline required across various formats presents a stark contrast in preparation. Solvers routinely alternate between the expansive geometry of a twelve-sided dodecahedron and the frantic, sub-two-second scrambles of miniature puzzles. Every competitor at this cubing competition balanced quick optical recognition with algorithmic precision, making the single-day slate a true test of versatility under competition conditions in 2023.

In the main 3x3x3 Cube event, three complete rounds narrowed the field down to a high-caliber final. Aggarwal earned the top spot on the podium behind his winning 6.61 average, which featured a best single solve of 6.48. Siauw secured the runner-up position with his 6.66 mark, while Michael Muething took third place with an average of 8.01. The overall 3x3 results demonstrated exceptional consistency at the top of the standings, setting a demanding standard for the rest of the day.

Max Siauw proved to be the weekend standout across multiple categories, capturing titles in two separate events and reaching the podium in four. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Siauw topped a field of 108 competitors by logging an exceptional winning average of 1.96, highlighted by a 1.33 single. William Greninger took second place in the event with a 2.42 average, closely followed by Aggarwal in third at 2.44. Siauw also claimed victory in Square-1, winning the single round with a 5.90 average over Aggarwal at 6.02 and Benjamin Gottschalk at 7.27.

Beyond the championship battles at the top of the rankings, personal milestones defined the competition for dozens of competitors advancing their official careers. Milan Kuruvilla tackled three events and achieved massive personal bests, recording a 6.45 on the 2x2x2 Cube that was 51.9 percent faster than before and a 24.30 on the 3x3x3 Cube that improved by 34.1 percent, alongside a first attempt at Skewb of 13.72. Lucas Randolph Shera shaved 48.1 percent off their previous best on the 3x3x3 Cube with a 23.16 and dropped 40.1 percent on the 2x2x2 Cube with an 8.32, while also taking on Skewb for the first time with a 12.37. Neel Randhawa took on three events, posting a 9.84 on 2x2x2 Cube for a 43.3 percent improvement, a 33.55 on the Rubik's Cube for a 21.5 percent drop, and logging an initial Skewb attempt of 15.70. Antariksh Mishra competed across five events, securing 22nd place in Megaminx with a first attempt of 2:04.01 while lowering their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 2.99 and Skewb mark to 7.56.

That same drive was evident across newcomers and seasoned participants alike in Olympia. Quinn Johnson entered three events, recording a 13.11 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube for a 34.7 percent cut, placing 33rd in Square-1, and completing a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 5.88. Ashley Anderson posted a personal best of 21.24 on the 3x3x3 Cube, improving by 33.8 percent, and completed initial attempts in both 2x2x2 Cube at 5.80 and Skewb at 20.44. Sam Dodge tackled four events, finishing 27th in Megaminx with a personal best of 2:26.55 that cut 27 percent from their previous mark, while also recording a 14.42 on 3x3x3 Cube and a first 2x2x2 Cube solve of 5.29. Making their official debut, Olly Duel entered all five events, securing 31st place in Square-1 and posting first marks of 17.98 on 3x3x3 Cube, 5.77 on 2x2x2 Cube, and 14.38 on Skewb.

Longer format solving brought deep technical battles to the tables during the Megaminx event. Ethan Davis delivered a dominant performance to win the single round with a 35.48 average, backed by the best single time of the tournament at 33.55. Michael Muething took second place with a 40.82 average, while Siauw rounded out the podium positions with a 44.72. In the Skewb tournament, Eli Kirk emerged victorious across two rounds, setting a winning average of 3.77 and a single of 2.61 to finish ahead of Jonathan Truchot at 4.71 and Aggarwal at 4.78.

The competitive speed cubing slate wrapped up with United States competitors capturing all 15 available podium spots across the five contested disciplines. From the tactical demands of shape-shifting puzzles like Square-1 to the raw velocity required in 2x2x2 finals, the event showcased a rich variety of mechanical challenges. As another WCA competition concluded at Olympia High School, Welcome to Olympia 2023 closed out an electric chapter of racing and individual achievements.