WCA World Championship 2019
The WCA World Championship 2019 (WC2019) took place from July 11th – 14th 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. For the first time in WCA history, Oceania had the honor of hosting this prestigious, biennial event, with Speedcubing Australia as the main organizers alongside the sponsorship of Rubik’s.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Epilogue
Prologue
The Start
The Hype
The End?
The Bid
The Thrill
The Finale
14th July 2019 The stage is set for the final of finals.
11th July 2019 The excitement unfolds as WC2019 kicks off.
12th July 2019 More world records shatter; the opening ceremony inspires.
13th July 2019 We welcome the return of the Nation's Cup.
How did it all begin? We take a look at the early stages of WC2019.
What happened after? We see the trials and tribulations of WC2019 as well as its impact.
The Bid for WC2019
NEXT
Why Not?
When the call for applicants for WC2019 was announced in the previous year, Ethan Pride reached out to Tim McMahon, the main WCA delegate in Australia at the time, and took the first step of faith in the face of much skepticism. The bidding stage was riddled with challenges, with the event facing major concerns in December 2018 due to sponsorship issues. But with Rubik’s Brand secured as the primary sponsor, it was possible to market WC2019 to a non-cubing audience more effectively as “Rubik’s presents WCA World Championship 2019”. When announced on January 15th 2019, the news was met with great excitement from all over the globe. Expectations were huge as speedcubers braced themselves for the 10th installment of the WCA World Championship.
So at the start, I reached out to Tim, I said, “Looks like they're looking for applicants for worlds. Why don't we just do it?”. Seems like a good time to do it. Ended up in hindsight being an even better time to do it. I don't think there was much more motivation than just “Why not?”.
+info
The Start
back
NEXT
Welcome to Worlds 2019
The WCA World Championship had finally begun! The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) opened up its doors for staff arriving as early as 5.00am to set up and prepare the venue. At the main foyer, attendees could find the registration booth, a WC2019 merch store, a Rubik's booth and the WCA booth! As the first events started, competitors warmed up and spectators took their seats from the stands.
wins & records
GALLERY
Starting Off on the Right Foot
The first day of WC2019 featured several side events including 3x3x3 Multi-Blind and 4x4x4 Blindfolded. Of note, WC2019 is the last world championship to include 3x3x3 with Feet as an event, with it being removed in January 2020. In an interview, some of the organizers noted that the event had received an unexpected amount of media coverage as it was the first event in the main room, joking that they should not have scheduled it for the first day. WC2019 would also be the first world championship in history to crown a pair of co-world champions for an event, with Firstian Fushada (Indonesia) and Christopher Chi (USA) both tied for first in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves on Day 1.
The Hype
back
NEXT
Are You Ready?
A Moment to Be Proud
On the second day of WC2019, the rest of the main stage was opened for the rest of the championship. With 48 solving stations across four sections as well as live streaming equipment set up, WC2019 went into high gear. Attendees also got to witness the filming of 'The Speed Cubers', a Netflix documentary featuring speedcubing which would premier in 2020. It was also very eventful day two as four world records were broken! As the final rounds of another six events concluded at the end of the day, the halfway point of WC2019 has been reached.
At 4.45pm, the opening ceremony took place and began with the viewing of the WC2019 opening ceremony film. (link below) Then, representatives from each country paraded through the main auditorium and onto the main stage, hoisting their nation’s flag. It was a magnificent spectacle to behold as speedcubers from across the world stood united and proud. The national anthem of Australia was then played followed by a special pre-recorded address by WCA Executive Director, Bob Burton. The ceremony ended with lead organizer and newly elected WCA board member, Ethan Pride, who gave a speech welcoming and thanking all who came.
wins & records
The Thrill
back
NEXT
The Excitement Continues
Day 3 kicked off spectacularly with the first round some of the more popular events, including 2x2x2, 3x3x3 and 3x3x3 One-Handed. The venue was bustling as wave after wave of competitors did their solves, delegates and staff were busy ensuring everything was running smoothly and on schedule. Towards the end of Day 3, many were excited to feast their eyes on yet another highly anticipated event at WC2019 - The Rubik’s Nations Cup. Flags were waved and chants were heard as attendees proudly cheered.
wins & records
GALLERY
Battle of the Nations
This unofficial event involves the top 32 registered teams of three from the same country, pitting teams against each another in a knockout tournament. Members of each team were required to solve a special edition Rubik’s brand 3x3x3 cube in a relay and the team with the fastest combined time will then progress to the next round. This year, reigning champions Team Germany (Phillipp Weyer, Sebastian Weyer and Cornelius Dieckmann) once again made it to the finals, where they were up against Team USA 1 (Lucas Etter, Patrick Ponce and Max Park). With a total time of 22.55 seconds, Team Germany emerged victorious yet again, winning by 1.59 seconds and defending their title as the Nations Cup champions!
The Finale
back
NEXT
Glory on the Horizon
Down to the Wire
After an intense hour of solving, all eyes were fixed on Max Park as the 3x3x3 Cube podium all came down to his final solve. When the dust settled, the crowd erupted into cheers as Philipp Weyer of Germany was crowned the WC2019 champion. With a 6.74-second average, he inched ahead of runner up, Sean Patrick Villanueva (Philippines) by a mere 0.04 seconds. Philipp’s very own twin brother, Sebastian Weyer, secured bronze with an average of 6.81 seconds. Alongside Max Park, Feliks Zemdegs and Seung Hyuk Nahm who finished 4th to 6th place respectively, the top six average times were within 0.11 seconds from each other. This makes it the closest world championship finals in WCA history. MCEC continued to be filled with applause as those who secured podiums went on stage to receive their prizes during the awards ceremony. Group photos were taken and farewells were exchanged as WC2019 drew to a close.
As the final day of WC2019 took place, those present were looking forward to the final rounds of the nine remaining events. With the 3x3x3 Cube Semi Final concluding right before lunch, the finalists for the main event were set in stone. These top-16 cubers would face each other head-to-head to determine who would take the title of world champion. The afternoon was particularly exciting and equally as tense, with spectators enjoying two and half hours' worth of final rounds. After crowning another 8 world champions in their respectful events, the penultimate round of 3x3x3 drew near. Finalists were ushered into a special waiting room as staff prepared the main stage for the final showdown in Melbourne. Finalists made their entrance to their personal solving station accompanied by their national flag. Ethan Pride and Edward Hollingdale were responsible as dedicated judges for this final of finals.
wins & records
The End?
back
All's Well That Ends Well
The WC2019 organizing team, though comprised of a relatively small team had banded together to pull off the largest world championship in WCA history at the time. The team also wished that competitors can have a more memorable trip in Melbourne beyond competing. Jeff Hobbs contacted various places to feature them in a booklet that introduces places of interest that competitors could check out outside of cubing. A local aquarium even offered a dive with sharks, to gain more publicity and promote WC2019.
Hope turned into reality as WC2019 ignited the passion of many Australian speedcubers, which led to an explosive demand in local competitions. In just 4 years since WC2019, the number of Australian competitions in total have more than doubled. We congratulate Speedcubing Australia for their remarkable achievements, wishing them further success!
Although there were many things that the organizing team felt could have been improved such as better flow for the Nations Cup and the limited merchandise supply, they were really pleased that WC2019 ended on a positive note. With the success of WC2019, the organizing team hope to host more consistent competitions within the region and that speedcubing in Australia will continue to achieve greater heights.
The final round of 3x3x3 at WC2019, produced by fellow WC2019 3x3x3 finalist, Phillip Lewicki also known as LaZer0MonKey.
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Transcript
WCA World Championship 2019
The WCA World Championship 2019 (WC2019) took place from July 11th – 14th 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. For the first time in WCA history, Oceania had the honor of hosting this prestigious, biennial event, with Speedcubing Australia as the main organizers alongside the sponsorship of Rubik’s.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Epilogue
Prologue
The Start
The Hype
The End?
The Bid
The Thrill
The Finale
14th July 2019 The stage is set for the final of finals.
11th July 2019 The excitement unfolds as WC2019 kicks off.
12th July 2019 More world records shatter; the opening ceremony inspires.
13th July 2019 We welcome the return of the Nation's Cup.
How did it all begin? We take a look at the early stages of WC2019.
What happened after? We see the trials and tribulations of WC2019 as well as its impact.
The Bid for WC2019
NEXT
Why Not?
When the call for applicants for WC2019 was announced in the previous year, Ethan Pride reached out to Tim McMahon, the main WCA delegate in Australia at the time, and took the first step of faith in the face of much skepticism. The bidding stage was riddled with challenges, with the event facing major concerns in December 2018 due to sponsorship issues. But with Rubik’s Brand secured as the primary sponsor, it was possible to market WC2019 to a non-cubing audience more effectively as “Rubik’s presents WCA World Championship 2019”. When announced on January 15th 2019, the news was met with great excitement from all over the globe. Expectations were huge as speedcubers braced themselves for the 10th installment of the WCA World Championship.
So at the start, I reached out to Tim, I said, “Looks like they're looking for applicants for worlds. Why don't we just do it?”. Seems like a good time to do it. Ended up in hindsight being an even better time to do it. I don't think there was much more motivation than just “Why not?”.
+info
The Start
back
NEXT
Welcome to Worlds 2019
The WCA World Championship had finally begun! The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) opened up its doors for staff arriving as early as 5.00am to set up and prepare the venue. At the main foyer, attendees could find the registration booth, a WC2019 merch store, a Rubik's booth and the WCA booth! As the first events started, competitors warmed up and spectators took their seats from the stands.
wins & records
GALLERY
Starting Off on the Right Foot
The first day of WC2019 featured several side events including 3x3x3 Multi-Blind and 4x4x4 Blindfolded. Of note, WC2019 is the last world championship to include 3x3x3 with Feet as an event, with it being removed in January 2020. In an interview, some of the organizers noted that the event had received an unexpected amount of media coverage as it was the first event in the main room, joking that they should not have scheduled it for the first day. WC2019 would also be the first world championship in history to crown a pair of co-world champions for an event, with Firstian Fushada (Indonesia) and Christopher Chi (USA) both tied for first in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves on Day 1.
The Hype
back
NEXT
Are You Ready?
A Moment to Be Proud
On the second day of WC2019, the rest of the main stage was opened for the rest of the championship. With 48 solving stations across four sections as well as live streaming equipment set up, WC2019 went into high gear. Attendees also got to witness the filming of 'The Speed Cubers', a Netflix documentary featuring speedcubing which would premier in 2020. It was also very eventful day two as four world records were broken! As the final rounds of another six events concluded at the end of the day, the halfway point of WC2019 has been reached.
At 4.45pm, the opening ceremony took place and began with the viewing of the WC2019 opening ceremony film. (link below) Then, representatives from each country paraded through the main auditorium and onto the main stage, hoisting their nation’s flag. It was a magnificent spectacle to behold as speedcubers from across the world stood united and proud. The national anthem of Australia was then played followed by a special pre-recorded address by WCA Executive Director, Bob Burton. The ceremony ended with lead organizer and newly elected WCA board member, Ethan Pride, who gave a speech welcoming and thanking all who came.
wins & records
The Thrill
back
NEXT
The Excitement Continues
Day 3 kicked off spectacularly with the first round some of the more popular events, including 2x2x2, 3x3x3 and 3x3x3 One-Handed. The venue was bustling as wave after wave of competitors did their solves, delegates and staff were busy ensuring everything was running smoothly and on schedule. Towards the end of Day 3, many were excited to feast their eyes on yet another highly anticipated event at WC2019 - The Rubik’s Nations Cup. Flags were waved and chants were heard as attendees proudly cheered.
wins & records
GALLERY
Battle of the Nations
This unofficial event involves the top 32 registered teams of three from the same country, pitting teams against each another in a knockout tournament. Members of each team were required to solve a special edition Rubik’s brand 3x3x3 cube in a relay and the team with the fastest combined time will then progress to the next round. This year, reigning champions Team Germany (Phillipp Weyer, Sebastian Weyer and Cornelius Dieckmann) once again made it to the finals, where they were up against Team USA 1 (Lucas Etter, Patrick Ponce and Max Park). With a total time of 22.55 seconds, Team Germany emerged victorious yet again, winning by 1.59 seconds and defending their title as the Nations Cup champions!
The Finale
back
NEXT
Glory on the Horizon
Down to the Wire
After an intense hour of solving, all eyes were fixed on Max Park as the 3x3x3 Cube podium all came down to his final solve. When the dust settled, the crowd erupted into cheers as Philipp Weyer of Germany was crowned the WC2019 champion. With a 6.74-second average, he inched ahead of runner up, Sean Patrick Villanueva (Philippines) by a mere 0.04 seconds. Philipp’s very own twin brother, Sebastian Weyer, secured bronze with an average of 6.81 seconds. Alongside Max Park, Feliks Zemdegs and Seung Hyuk Nahm who finished 4th to 6th place respectively, the top six average times were within 0.11 seconds from each other. This makes it the closest world championship finals in WCA history. MCEC continued to be filled with applause as those who secured podiums went on stage to receive their prizes during the awards ceremony. Group photos were taken and farewells were exchanged as WC2019 drew to a close.
As the final day of WC2019 took place, those present were looking forward to the final rounds of the nine remaining events. With the 3x3x3 Cube Semi Final concluding right before lunch, the finalists for the main event were set in stone. These top-16 cubers would face each other head-to-head to determine who would take the title of world champion. The afternoon was particularly exciting and equally as tense, with spectators enjoying two and half hours' worth of final rounds. After crowning another 8 world champions in their respectful events, the penultimate round of 3x3x3 drew near. Finalists were ushered into a special waiting room as staff prepared the main stage for the final showdown in Melbourne. Finalists made their entrance to their personal solving station accompanied by their national flag. Ethan Pride and Edward Hollingdale were responsible as dedicated judges for this final of finals.
wins & records
The End?
back
All's Well That Ends Well
The WC2019 organizing team, though comprised of a relatively small team had banded together to pull off the largest world championship in WCA history at the time. The team also wished that competitors can have a more memorable trip in Melbourne beyond competing. Jeff Hobbs contacted various places to feature them in a booklet that introduces places of interest that competitors could check out outside of cubing. A local aquarium even offered a dive with sharks, to gain more publicity and promote WC2019.
Hope turned into reality as WC2019 ignited the passion of many Australian speedcubers, which led to an explosive demand in local competitions. In just 4 years since WC2019, the number of Australian competitions in total have more than doubled. We congratulate Speedcubing Australia for their remarkable achievements, wishing them further success!
Although there were many things that the organizing team felt could have been improved such as better flow for the Nations Cup and the limited merchandise supply, they were really pleased that WC2019 ended on a positive note. With the success of WC2019, the organizing team hope to host more consistent competitions within the region and that speedcubing in Australia will continue to achieve greater heights.
The final round of 3x3x3 at WC2019, produced by fellow WC2019 3x3x3 finalist, Phillip Lewicki also known as LaZer0MonKey.