Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Wrap, where we catch up on the stories from this week’s preview and the other news you may have missed.
Praschl joins Chapel under a minute
Until this weekend, Stanley Chapel had all 17 official 4x4 blindfolded solves under a minute. Simon Praschl broke through on his first attempt at Austrian Nationals. His 57.79 earned him the $600 top prize in Chapel’s bounty challenge. Praschl finished all three solves for a 1:07.83 mean. Both the single and the mean set European records. Read the full story.
In the Vienna 3x3 final, Florian Truckenthanner led the Austrians with an 8.52 average to win his country’s first national 3x3 title. Praschl was second among Austrians at 8.82. Alexey Tsvetkov won the open field with a 6.25.
Rush saves both African records for his last solve
Daniel Rush opened the 6x6 final in Centurion, South Africa, with a 1:19.00 and a 1:15.37. Then he cut more than 11 seconds off his second solve. His closing 1:03.89 set the African single record and pulled his mean down to 1:12.75 for a second continental record. Read the full story.
Chen clocks 5.74 as Geng wins twice
Zhen Chen followed his 5.98 one-handed single in Guangzhou with a 5.74 at Saturday’s Ningbo Open. The world record holder for average now has the Asian single record, too. He won the event with a 7.73 average.
Xuanyi Geng won 3x3 in Ningbo with a 3.81 average, ahead of Yi Shen at 4.55. Yize Dong, whose Saturday plans were still open in our preview, competed in Ningbo.
Yunzhi Lian won Saturday’s Zhongshan City Open with a 5.07 average. She went faster in Jiangmen on Sunday, but her 4.60 took second behind Geng’s 4.41.
Salcedo Rivera wins Ecuador’s 3x3 title
Caleb Salcedo Rivera won the Ecuador Nationals final in Ambato with an 8.41 average. Justin Santiago Reinoso Arias took second at 8.73, and defending champion Anthony Gerard Álvarez Ludeña finished third at 9.03.
Álvarez Ludeña beat Salcedo Rivera in both 5x5 and Megaminx. Megaminx was the closer of the two. Just a quarter of a second separated their averages, 55.47 to 55.72.
Wood wins the final, Griesser takes the Kentucky title
Nolan Wood won the Kentucky Championship 3x3 final with a 6.26 average. Luke Griesser had the faster single, 5.39, and finished second overall at 6.38. As the top Kentucky resident, Griesser took the state title.
Jack Pfeifer won the open 5x5 final with a 46.47 average, ahead of Griesser at 52.69 and Lucy Grace Bryson at 55.40. Bryson won Megaminx with a 34.07 average.
Next up is Namibia Nationals on Wednesday, November 4. Windhoek will host the country’s first WCA competition.