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The Middle Three
Competitions → United States → Crystal City Winter 2023

Competitions · United States

Crystal City Winter 2023

Arlington, Virginia · 22 January 2023 · 5 events · 64 competitors · 63 personal bests

Ray Bai won four of the five events (3×3, 4×4, 5×5) and the closest final was the 3×3, won by Ray Bai by 0.08 seconds. 64 competitors produced 63 personal bests, 14 of which still stand today, and 15 people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

The day's biggest improvement

Gavin Tribie took a 4×4 single of 1:34.92 down to 50.01, 47 percent better in one day.

Four wins
Ray Bai — 3×3, 4×4, 5×5, Megaminx
0.08s
closest final — 3×3, Ray Bai over Ryland Wilson
63
personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

EventWinnerSingleAverage
3×3Ray Bai6.167.69
4×4Ray Bai24.2827.15
5×5Ray Bai48.0352.42
7×7Dana Yi2:28.662:32.68
MegaminxRay Bai33.2940.74

The PB harvest

63 set · 14 still standing
  • Blake Thompson — 4×4 single 26.28: into the top 1.1% of the event's history.
  • Osman Pamuk — 3×3 single 11.37: into the top 11.7% of the event's history.
  • Jeremy Gassman — Megaminx single 1:09.28: into the top 15.2% of the event's history.
  • John Staley — 4×4 single 42.71: into the top 15.4% of the event's history.
  • Ryland Wilson — 7×7 single 3:34.89: into the top 21.5% of the event's history.
  • Gavin Tribie — 4×4 single 50.01: into the top 24.7% of the event's history.
  • James Keehner — 5×5 single 1:39.74: into the top 35.2% of the event's history.
  • Aaron Hensler — 5×5 single 1:44.02: into the top 38.4% of the event's history.

First-timers

15 people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 37,591 people who made their debut in 2023. Start here explains what a first competition is like.

Records watch

No national, continental or world records were set at this competition. That is true of most competitions.

The field

64 competitors · 237 results · 5 events.

Solve this final yourself

how this works →

The 3×3 final here ran on one scramble group, so these five sequences are exactly what the finalists faced. Ray Bai won it with a 7.69 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.

  1. 1B' D2 L B2 U B R' B2 U' L2 U2 L2 F2 R2 F2 D B L2 D'
  2. 2R2 D2 B2 D F2 R2 U2 B D B2 R F' L B D' L B' L'
  3. 3D B2 L F2 U2 B2 L2 U2 R D2 U' F' U' L2 R B2 R2 D L
  4. 4U B D2 R' F' B R B2 L' U R2 F2 U2 B' D2 L2 D2 B2
  5. 5R' B2 D B2 L2 R' B2 F2 R' D B R2 U B2 F2 D' L2

solve 1

solve 2

solve 3

solve 4

solve 5

Race this final

Everyone who competed

64 competitors

Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a final is a competition's last round; its order decides the podium · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · every solve starts from a computer-generated scramble, the same for every competitor in a round.