Ravensburger AG

07/28/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/28/2022 08:07

Spanish Jigsaw Puzzle Champion wins the 2nd World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship at Valladolid

Puzzle 'professionals' immersed in Ravensburger puzzles - including selected puzzle novelties

For many people, doing puzzles is simply a relaxing pastime. For some, it is even more: a real passion and challenge. That's why puzzle assemblers from around the world met in Valladolid (Spain) to participate in the 2nd World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship and an exciting competition - with puzzles from Ravensburger. As expected, those who placed first set new best times. At the very top of the list was the winner of the individual competitions and new Jigsaw Puzzle World Champion Alejandro Clemente León. It took him less than 35 minutes to complete a 500-piece puzzle, one of Ravensburger's newest creations.

The challenge to be mastered in the final of the 2nd Jigsaw Puzzle World Championship, held at the 'Cúpula del Milenio' (Millennium Dome) in Valladolid, featured puzzles from the international Ravensburger brand that had not yet been released and depicted, for example, stunning Japanese landscapes, the metropolis or New York or colorful townhouses in London. The event, organized by the Jigsaw Puzzle World Federation in collaboration with the City Council and sponsored by the multinational Ravensburger, was attended by more than 400 puzzle lovers from around the world.

Participants spent three days of highly concentrated puzzling in the best of spirits. Everyone was immersed in the moment and busy putting the quality puzzles together piece by piece as fast as possible, with one goal in mind: to complete the 500-piece (individuals) or 1000-piece (pairs/teams) puzzles in personal best time, or at least faster than the others. In the end, Alejandro Clemente León from Barcelona (Spain) was crowned 'Jigsaw Puzzle World Champion' with an amazingly fast performance in the individual category.

In the individual category, no one was faster than Alejandro Clemente León, who put together the 500-piece puzzle 'London Postcard' in only 34 minutes and 25 seconds. Kristin Thuv from Bodø (Norway) finished second in 41 minutes and 27 seconds. Third place went to Tereza Koptíková from Prague (Czech Republic). She finished only 51 seconds later.

In the pairs category, the Czech duo Katerina Novotna and Tereza Koptíková won the competition - assembling the 1000-piece puzzle 'Fuji Cherry Blossom' in only 1 hour, 2 minutes and 20 seconds. The other top-ranking places went to Spain - with Demelza Becerra Robledillo and Ángel Heras Salcedo finishing second, 3 minutes and 34 seconds after the winners, and 11 minutes earlier than Susana Pérez Van Deenen and Alejandro Clemente León, who came in third.

In the team category, Spain again was unbeatable, with Ana Gil Luciano, Ana Isabel Jimeno Jordá, Alejandro Clemente León and David Caballero Calzado completing the two new Ravensburger 1000-piece puzzles "Colourful New York" and "New York in Winter" in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 13 seconds to take first place. Only the Spanish team managed to complete the given challenge in less than three hours. Second place went to Chiara Dellantonio and Nicola Giordani of Italy and Isabelle Gall and Michael Smit of Germany, who all live in Germany and therefore competed together for their country of residence. Coming in third were the 'Jigsaw Junkies' from the USA: Grey Rogers, Katherine Dilks, Geoffrey Scott and Amber Haglund-Pagel.

Outstanding performances and unforgettable puzzle moments

For the spectators, it was impressive to learn about different assembling tactics, which went from the edge to the center, from one area of color or pattern to the next or with a strategy somewhere in between. Which one would lead the way to success? This question was never easy to answer and in each competition at the event, the tension remained high until the very end, as more than once it was surprising to see who finally succeeded. Fast progress at the beginning could falter after a while, or just before the puzzle was completely finished. And more than once, the audience was astonished at how fast the favorites moved forward to complete their selected puzzle.

At the end of three exciting event days, what remains are lots of impressive puzzle performances, memories of countless pairs of hands simultaneously turning, moving, positioning and interchanging puzzle pieces at incredible speed - and the promise that each puzzle piece is a perfect fit. Ravensburger received at least as much recognition for the preview of a selection from its portfolio of new puzzle products. Puzzles with well-selected pictures and illustrations in bright color compositions that are particularly well accentuated by the puzzle design. Once assembled, it would be a shame to simply put away again, as they beautify any home.

Ravensburger 2D puzzles for the competitions

Qualification Individuals (group A / B / C)

Ravensburger Puzzle: London Postcard, 500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 11.99

Ravensburger Puzzle: Floral Reflections, 500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 11.99

Ravensburger Puzzle: My Loyal Friends, 500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 11.99

Qualification Pairs (group A / B)

Ravensburger Puzzle, Scandinavian Landscape, 500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 11.99

Ravensburger Puzzle: Sweet Golden Retriever, 500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 11.99

Qualification Teams (free choice of 2 puzzles to complete)

Ravensburger Puzzle: Art Collection / Roy Lichtenstein In the Car, 1000- piece puzzle, (RRP) EUR 14.99

Ravensburger Puzzle: AT / Algarve, 1000-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 14.99 Ravensburger Puzzle: Challenge Buttons, 1000-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 14.99

Ravensburger Puzzle: Copenhagen, Denmark, 1000-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 14.99

Finals

Ravensburger Puzzle: Colourful London, 500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 11.99, Release date September 2022

Ravensburger Puzzle: Fuji Cherry Blossom, 1000-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 14.99, Release date September 2022

Ravensburger Puzzle: New York in winter, 1500-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 25.99, Release date September 2022

Ravensburger Puzzle: Colourful New York, 1000-piece puzzle,
(RRP) EUR 14.99, Release date September 2022

About Ravensburger

Ravensburger AG is an international group with several renowned toy brands. Its mission is: "Encourage discovery of what really matters." Thus, Ravensburger products and services promote togetherness, build knowledge and social skills, enable relaxation and create lasting memories. The company´s most important brand, the Ravensburger blue triangle, is one of the leading European brands for games, puzzles and arts & crafts as well as for German-language children's and youth books. Toys with the blue triangle are sold worldwide. Furthermore the international brands BRIO and ThinkFun expand the group's portfolio. Ravensburger has been a family business since it was founded in 1883 and is shaped by tradition and grown values. In 2021, Ravensburger had 2,413 employees and achieved net revenue of EUR 636 million.* Ravensburger runs own plants in Ravensburg, Germany and Polička, Czech Republic.
* As of 01/2022