Winnipeg Open 2024

The tables inside the East Elmwood Community Centre hummed with focused energy as 95 competitors gathered on August 17, 2024. Stacks of puzzles, timers, and inspection mats lined the venue floor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, setting the stage for a full day of action across six official events. Speedcubing tournaments often produce sudden, dazzling single solves, but the true measure of mastery across 10 rounds of competition remains the steady reliability of the five-solve average. From early preliminary heats to tense finals, the day belonged to competitors who could execute their solutions repeatedly under pressure.

The classic 3x3x3 Cube drew the largest field of the weekend, bringing together 94 competitors across three rounds of Rubik's Cube solving. Jensen Belen-Brown demonstrated remarkable composure to claim the top spot in the 3x3 results, finishing with a winning average of 7.55 seconds. Belen-Brown also secured the best single solve of the event at 6.86 seconds. Raphael Fast claimed second place with an average of 9.12 seconds, while Keith Wierckx took third with an average of 9.86 seconds. Belen-Brown showed that steady execution round after round is the decisive factor at a high-level WCA competition.

Belen-Brown returned to the top step of the podium in Pyraminx, taking first place from a field of 70 competitors across two rounds. A disciplined winning average of 3.68 seconds and a best single solve of 2.86 seconds secured the victory over Aaron Cox, who finished second with an average of 4.76 seconds. Fast claimed the third spot on the podium with a 5.13-second average. Belen-Brown continued to display balanced form throughout the schedule, also picking up a runner-up finish in Clock with an 8.51 average and second place in Square-1 with a 12.60 average.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw Raphael Fast turn consistency into gold across two rounds featuring 79 competitors. Fast locked down the title with a winning average of 1.96 seconds alongside a best single of 1.55 seconds. Walker Welch pressed closely, earning second place with an average of 2.27 seconds, while Belen-Brown rounded out the podium in third at 2.28 seconds. The tight margins in the final highlighted how essential smooth turn speed and error-free execution are when solving smaller puzzles at Winnipeg Open 2024.

Walker Welch assembled a stellar showing across the schedule, capturing two event victories during the day. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Welch bested a field of 13 competitors with a winning average of 1:55.39 and a best single of 1:50.10. Shain Papalotl Longbehn finished second with a 2:34.57 average, followed by Fast in third at 2:46.79. Welch also dominated the 32-competitor Clock event, posting a winning average of 7.15 seconds and a best single of 6.12 seconds, finishing ahead of Belen-Brown and third-place finisher Deven Huard-Bernuy, who averaged 8.68 seconds.

Beyond the top podium spots, several competitors marked significant personal milestones throughout this speed cubing showcase. Jayden Berard dropped their 2x2x2 personal best to 5.08 seconds, cutting 63.9 percent off an earlier 14.08 mark, while also recording a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 5.47 single and Clock with 22.39. Jackson Broesky lowered their 2x2x2 personal best by 60.8 percent to 3.94 seconds, improved their 3x3x3 best by 11.1 percent down to 24.78 seconds, and logged a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 12.67 seconds. Justin Hofer improved their 3x3x3 mark to 19.42 seconds, a 25.2 percent jump, while posting a 17.61 in Clock and a 7.15 in Pyraminx on first attempts. Myles Tremaine trimmed their Pyraminx best by 48.8 percent down to 7.76 seconds, lowered their 2x2x2 best to 3.52, and recorded a 14.17 Clock attempt.

First-time entrants and multi-event campaigners also expanded their repertoires across the boards. Evan Searcy registered a 16.9 percent improvement in Pyraminx to reach a 4.42 personal best, alongside first-time attempts of 9.98 in Clock and 43.24 in Square-1, finishing sixth in Pyraminx. Myles Wilcox took on all six events, logging first attempts of 10.06 in Pyraminx, 19.75 in Clock, and 3:49.64 in 6x6x6 on the way to a sixth-place finish in the big cube. First-time WCA tournament entrant Andy Mai competed in five events, securing fifth in Square-1 with a 20.63 first attempt, while adding initial marks of 3.45 in 2x2x2 and 5.84 in Pyraminx. First-timer Lucas Wu also completed five events, finishing 14th in Square-1 with a 32.51 first attempt and logging initial tries of 6.91 in Pyraminx and 22.45 in Clock.

The Square-1 contest concluded with Shain Papalotl Longbehn taking the title among 23 competitors with a winning average of 12.13 seconds and a best single solve of 8.89 seconds. Belen-Brown claimed second place with a 12.60 average, while Welch earned third place with an 18.52 average. The podium distribution across the tournament showed strong depth, with Canadian competitors capturing 12 total podium positions and American solvers taking six.

With all six events completed, Winnipeg Open 2024 wrapped up as a testament to the power of consistent execution over fleeting single solves. Competitors walked away from the East Elmwood Community Centre with personal records, podium hardware, and valuable experience across a demanding slate of puzzles. As another cubing competition concluded on the Canadian prairies, the focus and resilience shown at Winnipeg Open 2024 set a dependable baseline for the challenges of the season ahead.