Sunday 6 September 2026 Rebuilt nightly from the WCA's official results · export of 6 September 2026 · About
The Middle Three
Competitions → United States → Princeton Open 2008

Competitions · United States

Princeton Open 2008

Princeton, New Jersey · 22 March 2008 · 13 events · 86 competitors · 86 personal bests

Alexander Yu won four of the 13 events (3×3 blindfolded, 4×4 blindfolded, 3×3 Multi-Blind) and the closest final was the Magic, won by Sam Boyles by 0.05 seconds. 86 competitors produced 86 personal bests, 30 of which still stand today, and 35 people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

A world record

Alexander Yu set the 3×3 blindfolded single world record: 1:00.62.

Four wins
Alexander Yu — 3×3 blindfolded, 4×4 blindfolded, 3×3 Multi-Blind, 3×3 Multi-Blind (old style)
0.05s
closest final — Magic, Sam Boyles over Raiza Mativo
86
personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

EventWinnerSingleAverage
3×3Harris Chan13.0313.18
2×2Mitchell Stern4.975.66
4×4Michael Gottlieb56.971:03.83
3×3 blindfoldedAlexander Yu1:00.621:06.05
3×3 Fewest MovesAnthony Hsu41 moves
3×3 one-handedHarris Chan21.3023.92
PyraminxMichael Gottlieb9.8512.81
Square-1Takao Hashimoto (橋本貴夫)24.7726.58
4×4 blindfoldedAlexander Yu
3×3 Multi-BlindAlexander Yu3 of 3 cubes · 11:03
MagicSam Boyles1.211.32
Master MagicSam Boyles2.222.87
3×3 Multi-Blind (old style)Alexander Yu3 of 3 cubes · 11:03

The PB harvest

86 set · 30 still standing
  • Doowon Joo — Magic single 1.21: into the top 12.1% of the event's history.
  • Doowon Joo — 3×3 single 11.69: into the top 12.8% of the event's history.
  • Doowon Joo — 3×3 one-handed single 18.19: into the top 15.6% of the event's history.
  • Raiza Mativo — Magic single 1.33: into the top 19.0% of the event's history.
  • Anthony Benis — 3×3 single 13.70: into the top 19.9% of the event's history.
  • Noah Ehrich — Magic single 1.40: into the top 24.2% of the event's history.
  • Tristan Wright — Magic single 1.47: into the top 30.8% of the event's history.
  • Anthony Hsu — 3×3 Multi-Blind (old style) single 2 of 2 cubes · 13:58: into the top 30.9% of the event's history.

First-timers

35 people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 2,174 people who made their debut in 2008. Start here explains what a first competition is like.

Records watch

22 regional records were set at this competition.

The field

86 competitors · 318 results · 13 events.

Everyone who competed

86 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.