<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Speedcuber's Digest]]></title><description><![CDATA[Speedcuber’s Digest is the home for speedcubing news, recaps, previews, and stories from around the world.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jibT!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F336f687a-b34a-42dd-8f82-96d637b8c61a_1080x1080.png</url><title>Speedcuber&apos;s Digest</title><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:41:20 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Speedcuber's Digest]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[speedcubersdigest@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[speedcubersdigest@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Matthew Mayernik]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Matthew Mayernik]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[speedcubersdigest@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[speedcubersdigest@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Matthew Mayernik]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Dylan Miller Breaks Through Against Kyle Santucci at PSL Langley, Adds Intrigue to Championship Race]]></title><description><![CDATA[Miller defeated Santucci earlier in the bracket, then won Grand Finals on the final solve of Set 5 to claim his first PSL win over Santucci this season.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/dylan-miller-breaks-through-against</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/dylan-miller-breaks-through-against</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 2026 01:12:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/iIETC74i7S0" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.solvewithdylan.com/">Dylan Miller</a> defeated <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016SANT08">Kyle Santucci</a> at <a href="https://www.start.gg/tournament/premier-speedcubing-league-langley-2026/details">PSL Langley</a> in Canada, earning his first PSL win over Santucci after dropping their first two meetings this season.</p><p>The final came down to the last solve of Set 5 in the first match of Grand Finals. Santucci recorded a 6.43, while Miller answered with a 5.66 to close out the match and win the event.</p><p><strong>Watch the full stream below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-iIETC74i7S0" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;iIETC74i7S0&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/iIETC74i7S0?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Miller entered Grand Finals with the bracket advantage after defeating Santucci earlier in the event. That meant Santucci needed to win two matches in Grand Finals to take the title, while Miller needed only one. Santucci worked his way back through the bracket to force the rematch, but Miller closed out the event in the opening Grand Finals match.</p><p>The result cuts Santucci&#8217;s season head-to-head lead over Miller to 2-1. Santucci had won each of their first two PSL meetings, while both competitors had already qualified for the PSL Championship at the end of the year by winning separate PSL events earlier this season.</p><p>If Miller and Santucci meet again at the PSL Championship, the season series will carry added weight from one of the closest finishes of the PSL season.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Watch PSL Langley 2026 Pro Tour]]></title><description><![CDATA[SpeedcubingTV will broadcast PSL Langley on Saturday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, featuring Dylan Miller, Kyle Santucci, and other Pro competitors.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/how-to-watch-psl-langley-2026-pro</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/how-to-watch-psl-langley-2026-pro</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 19:05:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/iIETC74i7S0" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.start.gg/tournament/premier-speedcubing-league-langley-2026/details">Premier Speedcubing League Langley 2026</a> will take place Saturday, June 6 in Langley, British Columbia, with coverage from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Speedcubing-TV">SpeedcubingTV</a> beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.</p><p>The event is one of the next stops in the 2026 PSL season and brings <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016SANT08">Kyle Santucci</a> and <a href="https://www.solvewithdylan.com/">Dylan Miller</a> back into focus, with another potential meeting between two competitors already qualified for the 2026 PSL Championship.</p><p><strong>Watch the stream below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-iIETC74i7S0" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;iIETC74i7S0&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/iIETC74i7S0?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Santucci has won both previous PSL matchups against Miller and will be competing in his home country, putting him in position to strengthen his case for the No. 1 overall seed. He also won <a href="https://www.start.gg/tournament/premier-speedcubing-league-davis-2026/details">PSL Davis</a> earlier this season after forcing the league&#8217;s first-ever bracket reset in the Grand Final.</p><p>Miller enters with the stronger WCA ranking profile, a recent win at PSL Seattle, and the PSL season record of 4.52, which carries a cash bonus if it stands through the season. He has also posted the better PSL mean and elimination mean, making Langley a chance to cut into Santucci&#8217;s head-to-head advantage.</p><p>According to PSL, championship seeding will factor in direct head-to-head results, fastest single, mean, and win-loss record adjusted for competitions attended. That means their full Langley performances matter, not just the direct matchup.</p><p>With both competitors already qualified for the $5,000 PSL Championship in Las Vegas, Santucci vs. Miller could be one of the clearest previews of the title race still to come.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Millisecond Podcast - Ep. 35 - Feat. Tymon Kolasiński]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dylan Miller and Chris Mills are joined by Tymon Kolasi&#324;ski to discuss an exciting week in speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-millisecond-podcast-ep-35-feat</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-millisecond-podcast-ep-35-feat</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Dylan Miller]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 03:57:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/T-GyT00kjCc" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome back to <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmkpW75x3632FdFU8s0E-He97iO6vrZsP&amp;si=wLmhP3BxKgOGd5p0">The Millisecond Podcast</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Speedcubing-TV">SpeedcubingTV</a>&#8217;s show for fast solves, strong opinions, and the stories shaping competitive cubing.</p><p>In this episode, hosts <a href="https://www.solvewithdylan.com/">Dylan Miller</a> and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2014MILL04">Chris Mills</a> are joined by <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016kola02">Tymon Kolasi&#324;ski</a> for a wide-ranging conversation across the current speedcubing landscape. </p><p><strong>Watch the full episode below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-T-GyT00kjCc" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;T-GyT00kjCc&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/T-GyT00kjCc?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>New episodes release every Friday on SpeedcubingTV &amp; <a href="http://speedcubersdigest.com">Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest</a>.</p><h3><strong>Want more Millisecond? </strong></h3><p>Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Muhammad Faeyza Koda Records Indonesia’s First Sub-6 3x3 Average]]></title><description><![CDATA[Koda records a 5.93 average at Solo Lur 2026, setting Indonesian national records for both 3x3 average and single.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/muhammad-faeyza-koda-records-indonesias</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/muhammad-faeyza-koda-records-indonesias</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:28:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png" width="500" height="500" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1254,&quot;width&quot;:1254,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:500,&quot;bytes&quot;:2104173,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/200724672?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Af5q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b51ae3f-3db0-443d-9df8-8014d3b6b8bc_1254x1254.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018KODA01">Muhammad Faeyza Koda</a> became the first Indonesian speedcuber to record a sub-6 3x3 average, finishing with a 5.93 average at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/SoloLur2026">Solo Lur 2026</a>.</p><p>Koda&#8217;s first-round results were (4.34), (8.58), 6.59, 5.42, and 5.78, giving him a 5.93 average and a new Indonesian national record. His 4.34 single also set a new Indonesian national record.</p><p><strong>Watch Koda&#8217;s national record average below.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div id="youtube2-UiMPdY1AibU" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;UiMPdY1AibU&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/UiMPdY1AibU?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>The average came down to the final solve. Koda appeared to fumble the cube during the fifth attempt, but recovered and finished with a PLL skip, which he seemed to recognize almost immediately.</p><p>The result moves Koda into the world top 100 for 3x3 average, a group that now consists entirely of sub-6 averages.</p><p>Koda has been Indonesia&#8217;s top 3x3 solver in recent years, winning the national title in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The 5.93 average gives Indonesia its first sub-6 result and places Koda firmly inside the global top tier.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Weekend Preview: June 5-7, 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Highlighting competitions from around the world of speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-weekend-preview-june-5-7-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-weekend-preview-june-5-7-2026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:02:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png" width="666" height="499.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1086,&quot;width&quot;:1448,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:666,&quot;bytes&quot;:1229552,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/200565225?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!96gk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fecbe420e-3df2-497d-8f3c-11c144c57457_1448x1086.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Several major competitions headline the first weekend of June, with PSL returning in Langley, a CubingUSA regional championship, and one of the Philippines&#8217; biggest young names returning to WCA competition.</p><h3>Premier Speedcubing League Langley 2026</h3><p><a href="https://www.start.gg/tournament/premier-speedcubing-league-langley-2026/details">Premier Speedcubing League Langley 2026</a> brings <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016SANT08">Kyle Santucci</a> and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2015MILL01">Dylan Miller</a> back into focus, with another meeting between two competitors already qualified for the 2026 PSL Championship.</p><p>Santucci has won both previous PSL matchups against Miller and will be competing in his home country, putting him in a position to strengthen his case for the No. 1 overall seed. He also won PSL Davis earlier this season after forcing the league&#8217;s first-ever bracket reset in the Grand Final.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Miller enters with the stronger WCA ranking profile, a recent win at PSL Seattle, and the PSL season record of 4.52, which carries a cash bonus if it stands through the season. He has also posted the better PSL mean and elimination mean, making Langley a chance to cut into Santucci&#8217;s head-to-head advantage.</p><p>According to PSL, championship seeding will factor in direct head-to-head results, fastest single, mean, and win-loss record adjusted for competitions attended. That means their full Langley performances matter, not just the direct matchup.</p><p>With both competitors already qualified for the $5,000 PSL Championship in Las Vegas, Santucci vs. Miller should serve as one of the clearest previews of the title race still to come.</p><h3>CubingUSA Great Lakes Championship 2026</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GreatLakesChampionship2026">CubingUSA Great Lakes Championship 2026</a> takes place June 5-7 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the <a href="https://grandwayne.com/">Grand Wayne Convention Center</a>. The event is one of the major U.S. regional championships on the CubingUSA calendar and brings together competitors from across the Great Lakes region.</p><p>Regional championships often carry a different feel than a normal local competition. Along with event wins, competitors from the eligible states are also racing for regional titles, adding another layer to finals across the schedule.</p><p>Great Lakes also lands less than a month before the <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/NAC2026">2026 WCA North American Championship</a> in Raleigh, making it one of the last major U.S. events before the continental championship season begins.</p><h3>Crimson Arradaza Returns to WCA Competition</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023ARRA01">Crimson Arradaza</a> is scheduled to compete at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/LasPinasSpeedcubingOpenIV2026">Las Pi&#241;as Speedcubing Open IV 2026</a> on June 6 in Las Pi&#241;as City, Metro Manila, Philippines.</p><p>The competition will be Arradaza&#8217;s first WCA event since his 5.33 3x3 one-handed solve at the <a href="https://www.asianmindsports.org/news/articles/46">Philippine National Speed Cubing Open 2026</a>, a non-WCA event held May 27-28 in Tagaytay City.</p><p>That solve was faster than the current WCA world record of 5.66, though it will not be recognized as a WCA world record because the event was not WCA-sanctioned.</p><p>At Las Pi&#241;as, Arradaza is listed for 3x3 One-Handed, giving him an immediate chance to compete in the event again under WCA conditions.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Plus Three Podcast - Season 3 Ep. 4]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch Season 3, Episode 4 as the crew discusses a one-handed world record time, WCA changing events, upcoming PSL Langley, and the latest stories across speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/plus-three-podcast-season-3-ep-4</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/plus-three-podcast-season-3-ep-4</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:08:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/XIJsdLOu8wc" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to Season 3 of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmkpW75x36335cs98e6k774sE9vWli3F0">Plus Three</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Speedcubing-TV">SpeedcubingTV</a>&#8217;s weekly podcast covering the biggest stories, moments, and conversations across the cubing community.</p><p>In Episode 4, hosts <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2014EPPL01">John Eppley</a>, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018RIDA01">Zach Ridall</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrosey100?igsh=dWZzaWR4amhuNjUy">Michael Rosenkranz</a> break down another busy week in speedcubing, including Crimson Arradaza&#8217;s one-handed world record time, the WCA potentially adding or subtracting events, upcoming PSL Langley, and the latest stories across speedcubing.</p><p><strong>Watch the episode below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-XIJsdLOu8wc" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;XIJsdLOu8wc&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/XIJsdLOu8wc?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><h3><strong>Want more Plus Three?</strong></h3><p>Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li><p>Crimson Arradaza&#8217;s one-handed world record time</p></li><li><p>WCA potentially adding or subtracting events</p></li><li><p>Upcoming PSL Langley - Dylan or Kyle?</p></li><li><p>Weekly speedcubing news and community discussion</p></li></ul><p>New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV &amp; <a href="http://speedcubersdigest.com">Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest</a>.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Weekend Wrap: May 29-31, 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[World records, barrier breakers, and national milestones highlighted another packed weekend across speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-weekend-wrap-may-29-31-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-weekend-wrap-may-29-31-2026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:01:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png" width="708" height="500.36538461538464" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1029,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:708,&quot;bytes&quot;:1470969,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/200091048?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fkaj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec570d6b-5f5a-472c-8958-57a786474b4e_1492x1054.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>World and national records, barrier-breaking results, and one major non-WCA claim shaped the weekend across the speedcubing calendar. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016WUZI04">Ziyu Wu</a> broke the Megaminx world record single, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022BAOF01">Fiona Bao</a> became the first female speedcuber to break sub-2 in Clock, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018KUZM02">Olaf Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski</a> joined the sub-5 3x3 average club, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023SAKA04">Kantaro Sakamoto</a> tied the Japanese 3x3 average record, and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023ARRA01">Crimson Arradaza</a> claimed a one-handed world record time outside the WCA system.</p><p>Welcome back to the <strong>Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest Weekend Wrap</strong>, where we look at the most significant results and storylines from this past weekend.</p><h3>Ziyu Wu - Megaminx World Record Single and Asian Record Average</h3><p>The biggest official world record of the weekend came from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/QuanzhouSummer2026">Quanzhou Summer 2026</a>, where Ziyu Wu broke the Megaminx world record single with a 21.04 in the first round.</p><p>The solve improves on <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2019TARA09">Timofei Tarasenko</a>&#8217;s previous world record of 21.85 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/StartofSummerBeijing2026">Start of Summer Beijing 2026</a>. Wu had already been one of the top Megaminx solvers in the world, previously ranking third for single with a 22.70 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GuangdongRevivalRival2026">Guangdong Revival &amp; Rival 2026</a>.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Wu did not stop with the single. In the final, he added a 24.61 Asian record average, with solves of (28.81), 24.38, (21.55), 23.08, and 26.38.</p><p>The average moves Wu to second in the world for Megaminx average, behind only Tarasenko&#8217;s 24.38 world record from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/TashkentOpen2025">Tashkent Open 2025</a>. Wu had already ranked second in the world with a 24.76 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GuangzhouSpecial2025">Guangzhou Special 2025</a>, but the 24.61 closes the gap at the top of the event even further.</p><p>Wu won the event with the 24.61 average, completing one of the strongest Megaminx performances of the season and strengthening China&#8217;s position near the top of the event.</p><h3>Fiona Bao - First Female Sub-2 Clock Single</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022BAOF01">Fiona Bao</a> made history at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/RVASpring2026">RVA Spring 2026</a>, becoming the first female speedcuber to record a sub-2 Clock single.</p><p>Bao solved in 1.98 seconds, setting a new female world record in Clock single and becoming just the 13th person ever to break the two-second barrier in the event.</p><p><strong>Watch the 1.98-second solve below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-4LYhDEQ4zus" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;4LYhDEQ4zus&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4LYhDEQ4zus?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>Bao&#8217;s final-round solves were (4.15), (1.98), 3.40, 3.60, and 2.91, giving her a 3.30 average and the event win.</p><p>The result adds another major milestone to Bao&#8217;s Clock r&#233;sum&#233;. She previously won Clock at Rubik&#8217;s x TheCubicle CubingUSA All-Stars 2025 with a 2.92 average, making her the reigning national champion in the event.</p><h3>Olaf Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski - 16th Person to Break Sub-5 in 3x3 Average</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018KUZM02">Olaf Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski</a> became the 16th person to record a sub-5 3x3 average, finishing with a 4.95 average at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/Cube4funinBelchatow2026">Cube4fun in Be&#322;chat&#243;w 2026</a>.</p><p>Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski&#8217;s final-round solves were (8.83), 4.93, 5.19, 4.72, and (4.56), giving him the 4.95 average and moving him into the world top 15 for 3x3 average.</p><p>The result also moved Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski to third in Polish history, passing <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022MARC05">Rados&#322;aw Marcinek</a>&#8217;s 5.24 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GiftPacksNiepolomice2025">Gift Packs Niepo&#322;omice 2025</a>.</p><p>Poland&#8217;s 3x3 rankings remain one of the strongest national lists in the world. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2021ZAJD03">Teodor Zajder</a> holds the Polish record with a 4.41 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GLSGdanskIII2026">GLS Gda&#324;sk III 2026</a>, while <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016kola02">Tymon Kolasi&#324;ski</a> ranks second with a 4.62 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/KostelecNxN2026">Kostelec NxN 2026</a>.</p><p>With Zajder, Kolasi&#324;ski, and Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski all near the top of the global rankings, Poland continues to build one of the deepest elite 3x3 fields outside China.</p><h3>Kantaro Sakamoto - Japanese 3x3 Average Record Tie</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023SAKA04">Kantaro Sakamoto</a> tied the Japanese national record for 3x3 average at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/HiroshimaSpring2026">Hiroshima Spring 2026</a>, recording a 6.38 average in the first round.</p><p>Sakamoto&#8217;s average came from solves of 6.84, 6.41, (5.10), 5.88, and (8.03), matching <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2019NOGA01">Ao Nogami</a>&#8217;s 6.38 national record from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/TokyoSpringPM2025">Tokyo Spring PM 2025</a>.</p><p>Sakamoto also recorded a 5.10 single in the same round, setting a new personal best while completing the national-record-tying average.</p><p>The result comes as Japan prepares for the return of Japan Championship in July, the country&#8217;s first national championship since 2019. With Sakamoto now tied at the top of the national 3x3 average list, Japan&#8217;s 3x3 field looks even more competitive heading into the summer.</p><h3>Crimson Arradaza - Claimed One-Handed World Record Time at Non-WCA Event</h3><p>One of the most discussed results of the weekend came outside the WCA system.</p><p>Filipino speedcuber <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023ARRA01">Crimson Arradaza</a> claimed a 3x3x3 one-handed world record time with a 5.33-second solve at the inaugural <a href="https://www.asianmindsports.org/news/articles/46">Philippine National Speed Cubing Open 2026</a>, a non-WCA competition held May 27-28 in Tagaytay City, Philippines.</p><p>The result is faster than the current WCA world record of 5.66 seconds, set by Switzerland&#8217;s <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2021MERU01">Dhruva Sai Meruva</a> at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/SwissNationals2024">Swiss Nationals 2024</a>. However, because the Philippine National Speed Cubing Open was not sanctioned by the WCA, Arradaza&#8217;s solve will not be recognized as a WCA world record.</p><p>Guinness World Records currently lists Meruva&#8217;s 5.66-second solve as the fastest one-handed 3x3x3 solve. Sources who competed at the Philippine National Speed Cubing Open told Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest that organizers are expected to pursue Guinness recognition for Arradaza&#8217;s result, though that process has not yet been confirmed publicly.</p><p><strong>Watch Arradaza&#8217;s 5.33-second solve below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-OS320TZ8kjc" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;OS320TZ8kjc&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OS320TZ8kjc?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>Arradaza, a 15-year-old Roux user, was one of the standout names from the event, which brought a larger mainstream spotlight to speedcubing in the Philippines. The competition was framed by AMSA and the Philippine Olympic Committee as part of a broader push to build speedcubing as a more formal mind sport in the region.</p><p>The tournament also featured a notable prize pool. Brenton Angelo Lo Wong won the 3x3 event and received $1,200 USD, roughly &#8369;73,000, a significant prize by speedcubing standards.</p><p>For now, Arradaza&#8217;s 5.33 stands as a major claimed world-record time outside the WCA system, with potential Guinness recognition still an open question.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Speedcuber Spotlight Ep. 4 - StuCube]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch the edited public version of our interview with StuCube. The full extended conversation is available for paid members in Exclusive.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/speedcuber-spotlight-ep-4-stucube-8f0</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/speedcuber-spotlight-ep-4-stucube-8f0</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Rosenkranz]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:19:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/Q3cytrgFCf0" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <strong>Speedcuber Spotlight</strong>, our weekly interview series focused on the people behind the solves.</p><p>In Episode 4, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrosey100/">Michael Rosenkranz</a> interviews <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023STOT01">Owen Stotts</a>, AKA <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@STUCUBE">StuCube</a> about his upbringing in Indiana, his academic career at Butler University, his origins on YouTube, and where he is now, Stu&#8217;s creative process when planning a video, and his secrets to success through storytelling.</p><p><strong>Watch the edited public version below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-Q3cytrgFCf0" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;Q3cytrgFCf0&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Q3cytrgFCf0?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong>Want the full conversation?</strong><br>Paid members can watch the <strong>Extended Subscriber Edition</strong> in <strong><a href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/s/exclusive">Exclusive here.</a></strong></p><h3>In this episode:</h3><ul><li><p>Growing up in Indiana</p></li><li><p>His academic career at Butler University</p></li><li><p>Origins on YouTube</p></li><li><p>Stu&#8217;s creative process when planning a video</p></li><li><p>Secrets to success through storytelling.</p></li></ul><p>New episodes release every Monday on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Speedcubing-TV">SpeedcubingTV</a> &amp; <a href="http://speedcubersdigest.com/">Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest</a>.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Speedcuber Spotlight Ep. 4 - StuCube (Extended Subscriber Edition)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch the shorter edited version for free on SpeedcubingTV YouTube. The full extended cut is available here for paid Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest subscribers.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/speedcuber-spotlight-ep-4-stucube</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/speedcuber-spotlight-ep-4-stucube</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Rosenkranz]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-video.s3.amazonaws.com/video_upload/post/197812302/93fa6c6a-bcfc-41e8-9e2f-7c50436e53ed/transcoded-00001.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <strong>Speedcuber Spotlight</strong>, our weekly interview series focused on the people behind the solves.</p><p>In Episode 4, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrosey100/">Michael Rosenkranz</a> interviews <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023STOT01">Owen Stotts</a>, AKA <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@STUCUBE">StuCube</a> about his upbringing in Indiana. his academic career at Butler University, his origins on YouTube, and where he is now, Stu's creative process when planning a video, and his secrets to success through storytelling.</p><p>The edited public version is available for free on SpeedcubingTv&#8217;s YouTube here.</p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fiona Bao Becomes First Female to Break Sub-2 in Clock]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bao records a 1.98 single at RVA Spring 2026, setting a female world record and becoming the 13th person ever to break the two-second barrier.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/fiona-bao-becomes-first-female-to</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/fiona-bao-becomes-first-female-to</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:16:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XdFZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc826593-f4ca-48a7-9cef-33a37682354a_1068x712.webp" width="599" height="399.3333333333333" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><em>Fiona Bao competing at All-Stars. Photo: <a href="https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/04/10/rubiks-world-champion-middle-schooler/">Bethesda Magazine</a></em></figcaption></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022BAOF01">Fiona Bao</a> became the first female speedcuber to record a sub-2 Clock single, solving in 1.98 seconds at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/RVASpring2026">RVA Spring 2026</a>.</p><p>The result sets a new female world record in Clock single and moves Bao into one of the event&#8217;s most exclusive groups. She is now the 13th person ever to record a sub-2 single in the event.</p><p><strong>Watch the 1.98-second solve below.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div id="youtube2-4LYhDEQ4zus" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;4LYhDEQ4zus&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4LYhDEQ4zus?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>Bao&#8217;s final-round solves were (4.15), (1.98), 3.40, 3.60, and 2.91, giving her a 3.30 average and the event win.</p><p>She previously won Clock at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/CubingUSAAllStars2025">Rubik&#8217;s x TheCubicle CubingUSA All-Stars 2025</a> with a 2.92 average, making her the reigning national champion in the event.</p><p>The 1.98 single gives women&#8217;s Clock solving a new benchmark and adds another major result to a year where women&#8217;s records across several events continue to move forward.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Olaf Kuźmiński Becomes 16th Person to Break Sub-5 in 3x3 Average]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski records a 4.95 average at Cube4fun in Be&#322;chat&#243;w 2026, moving to third in Polish history behind Teodor Zajder and Tymon Kolasi&#324;ski.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/olaf-kuzminski-becomes-16th-person</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/olaf-kuzminski-becomes-16th-person</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 20:54:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg" width="401" height="401" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:527,&quot;width&quot;:527,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:401,&quot;bytes&quot;:56801,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/200029599?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde269503-ab68-4044-9d51-4012acb1edb9_800x599.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!85Xa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0eef9e45-58ae-471a-9d80-b1cae225f208_527x527.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><em>Olaf Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski, ranked 15th in the world. Photo: <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018KUZM02">WCA</a></em></figcaption></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018KUZM02">Olaf Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski</a> became the 16th person to record a sub-5 3x3 average, finishing with a 4.95 average at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/Cube4funinBelchatow2026">Cube4fun in Be&#322;chat&#243;w 2026</a>.</p><p>Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski&#8217;s final-round solves were (8.83), 4.93, 5.19, 4.72, and (4.56), giving him the 4.95 average and moving him into the world top 15 for 3x3 average.</p><p>The result also moves Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski to third in Polish history, passing <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022MARC05">Rados&#322;aw Marcinek&#8217;</a>s 5.24 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GiftPacksNiepolomice2025">Gift Packs Niepo&#322;omice 2025</a>.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Poland&#8217;s 3x3 rankings remain one of the strongest national lists in the world. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2021ZAJD03">Teodor Zajder</a> holds the Polish record with a 4.41 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GLSGdanskIII2026">GLS Gda&#324;sk III 2026</a>, while <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016kola02">Tymon Kolasi&#324;ski</a> ranks second with a 4.62 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/KostelecNxN2026">Kostelec NxN 2026</a>.</p><p>Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski also recorded a 5.21 average in the second round and a 6.52 in the first round before breaking the sub-5 barrier in the final.</p><p>The result puts another Polish competitor into one of 3x3&#8217;s most exclusive groups. With Zajder, Kolasi&#324;ski, and now Ku&#378;mi&#324;ski all inside the world top rankings, Poland continues to build one of the deepest elite 3x3 fields outside China.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kantaro Sakamoto Ties Japanese 3x3 Average Record]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sakamoto records a 6.38 average at Hiroshima Spring 2026, matching Ao Nogami&#8217;s national record from last year.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/kantaro-sakamoto-ties-japanese-3x3</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/kantaro-sakamoto-ties-japanese-3x3</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 21:29:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png" width="400" height="400" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1254,&quot;width&quot;:1254,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:400,&quot;bytes&quot;:2108190,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/199913651?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYos!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e9122b-42ba-4714-bab9-23f8d5d040f9_1254x1254.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023SAKA04">Kantaro Sakamoto</a> tied the Japanese national record for 3x3 average at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/HiroshimaSpring2026">Hiroshima Spring 2026</a>, recording a 6.38 average in the first round.</p><p>Sakamoto&#8217;s average came from solves of 6.84, 6.41, (5.10), 5.88, and (8.03), matching Ao Nogami&#8217;s 6.38 national record from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/TokyoSpringPM2025">Tokyo Spring PM 2025</a>.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Japan&#8217;s 3x3 average rankings have tightened quickly over the past year. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2025ROKU01">Natsuki Rokutan</a> sits third with a 6.66 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/OtaWinter2026">Ota Winter 2026</a>, while <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2020OGAW01">Shu Ogawa</a> ranks fourth with a 6.75 from Tokyo Spring PM 2025. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022TAKA04">Junnosuke Takahashi</a> rounds out the current top five with a 6.82 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/TokyoSpring2026">Tokyo Spring 2026</a>.</p><p>Sakamoto also recorded a 5.10 single in the same round, setting a new personal best while completing the national-record-tying average.</p><p>The result comes as Japan prepares for the return of <a href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/japan-championship-returns-for-first">Japan Championship</a> in July, the country&#8217;s first national championship since 2019. With Sakamoto now tied at the top of the national 3x3 average list, the country&#8217;s 3x3 field looks even more competitive heading into the summer.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ziyu Wu Breaks Megaminx World Record Single, Adds Asian Record Average]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wu records a 21.04 Megaminx single and 24.61 average, moving to the top of the world for single and second all-time for average.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/ziyu-wu-breaks-megaminx-world-record</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/ziyu-wu-breaks-megaminx-world-record</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 21:11:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png" width="500" height="500" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1254,&quot;width&quot;:1254,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:500,&quot;bytes&quot;:2137458,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/199909791?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uEwC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f6ffac1-5b9d-43d0-bd61-aa48544fe770_1254x1254.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016WUZI04">Ziyu Wu</a> broke the Megaminx world record single at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/QuanzhouSummer2026">Quanzhou Summer 2026</a>, recording a 21.04 in the first round.</p><p>The solve improves on <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2019TARA09">Timofei Tarasenko</a>&#8217;s previous world record of 21.85 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/StartofSummerBeijing2026">Start of Summer Beijing 2026</a>. Wu had previously ranked third in the world for Megaminx single with a 22.70 from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GuangdongRevivalRival2026">Guangdong Revival &amp; Rival 2026</a>.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Wu then added a 24.61 Asian record average in the final, with solves of (28.81), 24.38, (21.55), 23.08, and 26.38.</p><p>The average moves Wu to second in the world for Megaminx average, behind only Tarasenko&#8217;s 24.38 world record from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/TashkentOpen2025">Tashkent Open 2025</a>. Wu had already been No. 2 in the world with a 24.76 average from <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GuangzhouSpecial2025">Guangzhou Special 2025</a>, but the 24.61 closes the gap at the top of the event even further.</p><p>The result also strengthens China&#8217;s position near the top of Megaminx. Wu now owns the world record single and sits second all-time in average, placing him among the few competitors pushing the event under the 25-second barrier.</p><p>Wu won the final with the 24.61 average, completing one of the strongest Megaminx performances of the season.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Crimson Arradaza Claims One-Handed World Record Time at Non-WCA Event]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Filipino speedcuber&#8217;s 5.33 solve was faster than the current WCA record, but the non-WCA event leaves its Guinness status uncertain.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/crimson-arradaza-claims-one-handed</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/crimson-arradaza-claims-one-handed</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 06:16:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg" width="534" height="400.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:600,&quot;width&quot;:800,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:534,&quot;bytes&quot;:81699,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/199832718?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F022395f6-02a9-45e3-b9c2-542d268d6a12_800x600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krnM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f738ff7-97cf-4d2e-9523-9b5f7d0c1053_800x600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><em>Crimson Arradaza with Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham &#8220;Bambol&#8221; Tolentino. Photo: <a href="https://www.philstar.com/sports/2026/05/29/2531415/speed-cubing-earns-major-spotlight-philippines">philstar.com</a></em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Filipino speedcuber <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023ARRA01">Crimson Arradaza</a> claimed a 3x3x3 one-handed world record time with a 5.33-second solve at the inaugural <a href="https://www.asianmindsports.org/news/articles/46">Philippine National Speed Cubing Open 2026</a>, a non-WCA competition held May 27-28 in Tagaytay City, Philippines.</p><p>The result is faster than the current <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/">World Cube Association</a> world record of 5.66 seconds, set by Switzerland&#8217;s <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2021MERU01">Dhruva Sai Meruva</a> at <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/SwissNationals2024">Swiss Nationals 2024</a>. However, because the Philippine National Speed Cubing Open was not sanctioned by the WCA, Arradaza&#8217;s solve will not be recognized as a WCA world record.</p><p><a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/">Guinness World Records</a> currently lists Meruva&#8217;s 5.66-second solve as the fastest one-handed 3x3x3 solve. Sources who competed at the Philippine National Speed Cubing Open told Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest that organizers are expected to pursue Guinness recognition for Arradaza&#8217;s result, though that process has not yet been confirmed publicly.</p><p><strong>Watch Arradaza&#8217;s 5.33-second solve below.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div id="youtube2-OS320TZ8kjc" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;OS320TZ8kjc&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:&quot;203s&quot;,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OS320TZ8kjc?start=203s&amp;rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>The event was organized by the <a href="https://www.asianmindsports.org/">Asian Mind Sports Association</a>, in partnership with the <a href="https://www.olympic.ph/">Philippine Olympic Committee</a>. <a href="https://www.asianmindsports.org/news/articles/46">AMSA&#8217;s own event announcement</a> said the competition was run under AMSA&#8217;s official competition rules, with certified referees and training around scrambling standards, event rules, and competition procedures.</p><p>Arradaza, a 15-year-old Roux user, was one of the standout names from the event, which brought a larger mainstream spotlight to speedcubing in the Philippines. The competition was framed by AMSA and the Philippine Olympic Committee as part of a broader push to build speedcubing as a more formal mind sport in the region.</p><p>The tournament also featured a notable prize pool. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2017WONG01">Brenton Angelo Lo Wong</a> won the 3x3 event and received $1,200 USD, roughly &#8369;73,000, a significant prize by speedcubing standards.</p><p>The Philippine National Speed Cubing Open included 3x3, 2x2, Pyraminx, 3x3 one-handed, and 3x3 blindfolded. AMSA has said it plans to continue developing regional competitions, referee systems, livestream infrastructure, youth programs, and international exchanges as part of its speedcubing efforts in Asia.</p><p>For now, Arradaza&#8217;s 5.33 stands as a major claimed world-record time outside the WCA system, with potential Guinness recognition still an open question.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Millisecond Podcast - Ep. 34]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dylan Miller and Chris Mills discuss the Olympics entering Speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-millisecond-podcast-ep-34</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-millisecond-podcast-ep-34</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Dylan Miller]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 03:45:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/PnHzuO7XNl4" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome back to <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmkpW75x3632FdFU8s0E-He97iO6vrZsP&amp;si=wLmhP3BxKgOGd5p0">The Millisecond Podcast</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Speedcubing-TV">SpeedcubingTV</a>&#8217;s show for fast solves, strong opinions, and the stories shaping competitive cubing.</p><p>In this episode, hosts <a href="https://www.solvewithdylan.com/">Dylan Miller</a> and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2014MILL04">Chris Mills</a> join producer <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018MAYE01">Matthew Mayernik</a> for a wide-ranging conversation across the current speedcubing landscape. </p><p><strong>Watch the full episode below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-PnHzuO7XNl4" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;PnHzuO7XNl4&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PnHzuO7XNl4?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><h3><strong>Want more Millisecond? </strong></h3><p>Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p>3x3 OH WR Single</p></li><li><p>Olympics entering speedcubing</p></li><li><p>Dylan Western Champs thoughts</p></li><li><p>Add or Removing WCA Events</p></li></ul><p>New episodes release every Friday on SpeedcubingTV &amp; <a href="http://speedcubersdigest.com">Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest</a>.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Commentary is More Than Just Talking into a Mic]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lessons learned over 5 years of speedcubing commentary and tips for aspiring casters]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/commentary-is-more-than-just-talking</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/commentary-is-more-than-just-talking</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Manu Singhal]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 21:01:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cubing commentary is harder than it seems. You may think that anyone can just jump into the booth and cast like it&#8217;s nothing. Should be really easy since we talk a lot about cubing right? It turns out that almost everyone struggles their first time in the booth. So how should one get into commentary and how do you improve? I&#8217;m not a perfect caster, but I want to explore some fundamentals and lessons I&#8217;ve learned from my experience casting at all levels thus far that those starting out (or considering trying it out) should keep in mind.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg" width="1024" height="683" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:683,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:139221,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/199788788?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mXrF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd58613dc-a315-4026-9ab3-fec30a6dbaa6_1024x683.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><em>Manu Singhal (front) and Kaoushik Murugan (back) producing WCC Western Championship 2026. Photo credit: <a href="http://instagram.com/sheepshapes">@sheepshapes</a></em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><h2>Know How to Fill</h2><p>Of course, you need some level of knowledge about speedsolving, but that doesn&#8217;t mean top solvers are automatically awesome casters. Everyone initially struggles with filling the gaps between solves with entertaining and insightful commentary, and this is where most people realize it&#8217;s not always about what you know but also how to deliver it. In my opinion (this is an editorial after all), most people dramatically overestimate how good they are at filling time when a solve or replay isn&#8217;t actively going on. There are always loads of related topics you can fall back on: recent competition results for the solvers you&#8217;re tracking, context about the competition, a funny story about cubing, basically anything that the audience might find interesting. This is especially important as the play-by-play commentator, as your role is to help tell the story of the event as it plays out. Set the stage and introduce the key figures during this downtime; it&#8217;ll really help flesh out the plot and make it much easier for someone across the world to watch. For example, listen to FIFA World Cup broadcasts. When the ball is in the middle of the pitch, and the action is at a lull, the casters don&#8217;t just stop talking. You&#8217;ll hear mention of results from other matches, the state of the group table, something interesting about the national teams, and lots more. </p><h2>Teach the Audience</h2><p>On that, remember that the audience isn&#8217;t always familiar with the rules and regulations of cubing; many people watching may be relatives who last interacted with puzzles in the 80s or newer cubers who are just getting into the hobby. It&#8217;s definitely fair game to drop hints about how the game is played. A baseball caster may say something &#8220;fouled off, the count remains 2-2, still looking for the strike to end the at bat&#8221;. American football is even more obvious; how often do you hear Tony Romo give his take on pass interference or Kirk Herbstreit go through the rules of targeting with the rules analyst? For those who understand the sport well, they tune it out and focus on the play. For those who need a refresher or don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going on, you throw them a bone and allow them to understand what&#8217;s happening and why they should care. Both play-by-play and color commentators can contribute. I really like listening to <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2015MILL01">Dylan Miller</a> and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018DULL01">Twan Dullemond</a> for this reason; I feel like I&#8217;m being taught more about the sport just by watching.</p><h2>Talk to Each Other</h2><p>A more direct way to do the above is to just talk to each other and ask each other questions, especially as the play-by-play commentator to the color analyst. If you&#8217;re casting a high-stakes event with little downtime because the solves and caliber of solving are very high, you may not get time for this, but treating the commentary booth like a podcast studio is a great way to get through slower rounds of side events while offering insight for the listeners. The play-by-play commentator also establishes the authority of their color partner, which makes the broadcast more enjoyable to watch, too. When in the booth with <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2009HAYS01">Kevin Hays</a>, for example, I know I can rely on him to give a thoughtful and insightful answer to a question he&#8217;d have no issue answering, which accomplishes multiple goals of filling the broadcast with interesting commentary, establishing rapport in the booth, and teaching the audience something about what they&#8217;re watching. You do need some experience/familiarity with each other as well as understanding which specific knowledge to tee up your co-commentator for, but as you get more comfortable casting with each other, you should naturally start to play off each other&#8217;s energy. </p><h2>Understand Your Role</h2><p>Adding to the chemistry between commentators, when you&#8217;re casting an important segment like a final round at a major championship or any round where the story is about the results themselves, it is critical for the commentators to understand their roles in the booth. Watch the Worlds 2025 3x3 Final for a fantastic example of this; the booth consisted of me as the play-by-play, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2012ELLI01">Keaton Ellis</a> as the traditional color commentator, and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2009ZEMD01">Feliks Zemdegs</a> as an expert. As analysts, Keaton and Feliks&#8217; roles are to:</p><ul><li><p>provide quick, insightful analysis of solves and scrambles</p></li><li><p>build off each other&#8217;s analysis to build each other up</p></li><li><p>understand the timing of the round to know when it&#8217;s their turn to speak</p></li><li><p>understand that the play-by-play has more &#8220;lines&#8221; and keep the comms clean (aside from extremely unexpected moments where the astonishment factor is critical)</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!98ep!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F65e4dde8-e84a-47c7-b13c-999690184d64_3648x2736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><em>Manu Singhal, Keaton Ellis, and Feliks Zemdegs prior to casting the 3x3 Final at the Rubik&#8217;s WCA World Championship 2025 in Seattle. </em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Understanding your role in the booth is hard, especially if you&#8217;ve only ever cast solo. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016YENC01">Chris Yen</a> was not great at this when starting out but he&#8217;s gradually grown to become a great color caster, understanding when it&#8217;s his turn to jump in to provide analysis and when he needs to step back and let the story play out. And of course, the main story is always the solvers. A broadcast is a storytelling device, and the casters are the narrators. Knowing when not to talk is sometimes as important as knowing what to say. </p><h2>Have a Good Time</h2><p>I could go on and on (maybe I&#8217;ll make a commentary guide #2?) and I learn something new from my co-casters every time I get the chance to call a competition. The world of commentary has changed so much since I started calling small locals with my buddy Preetham. Back in those days, we just threw the stream up and goofed around and did whatever we could to make it entertaining (by the way, shout out Denniel Santos and AJ Le, I call them the clown cast affectionately because it reminds me of the post-COVID era). And that&#8217;s probably the most important lesson: bring positive energy to the booth, be fun to work with, and enjoy talking about twisty puzzles from the best seat in the venue. Not every competition or event is or should be buttoned-up and professional. Cubing would be boring if casters just rattled off cross colors and algs for the entire day. Having a pep in your voice and energy in your casting is key to delivering a fun broadcast. Listeners definitely understand that energy through their screens and get excited to watch and interact with cubing. Bring that passion to the booth, and maybe you&#8217;ll inspire someone to pick up a puzzle and join our fantastic community, too.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Weekend Preview: May 29-31, 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Highlighting competitions from around the world of speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-weekend-preview-may-29-31-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/the-weekend-preview-may-29-31-2026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 17:01:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png" width="666" height="499.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1086,&quot;width&quot;:1448,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:666,&quot;bytes&quot;:1399409,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/i/199414200?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vxrb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae50c7cd-2fb5-4f7f-b0a2-02602d8e1fdc_1448x1086.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Several major competitions headline the final weekend of May, with continental championship action, elite Pyraminx competitors, and one of the Philippines&#8217; strongest Clock specialists all competing across a packed international schedule.</p><h3>WCA South American Championship FMC 2026</h3><p>The <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/FMCSAC2026">WCA South American Championship FMC 2026</a> takes place Sunday as competitors across multiple South American locations compete simultaneously in Fewest Moves Challenge. The championship format allows cubers from several countries to participate under coordinated timing and regulations, making it one of the more unique continental events on the 2026 calendar.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>The competition focuses exclusively on 3x3 Fewest Moves, with competitors attempting to solve the cube in the lowest possible move count rather than speed. Additional host locations continued being added throughout May, expanding participation across the continent.</p><h3>RVA Spring 2026</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/RVASpring2026">RVA Spring 2026</a> features one of the strongest Pyraminx names in North America, as <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2017NIEL03">Michael Nielsen</a> enters the competition looking to add another elite result to his resume.</p><p>Nielsen remains one of the fastest Pyraminx solvers in WCA history, previously holding the world record average with a 1.64 average set in 2023. He also currently holds multiple top North American averages, including a 1.41 continental record performance from 2025.</p><p>With Pyraminx continuing to trend faster globally in 2026, RVA Spring could become another important benchmark for the event heading into the championship season.</p><h3>GAN Manila Speedcubing Open 2026</h3><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/competitions/GANManilaSpeedcubingOpen2026">GAN Manila Speedcubing Open 2026</a> brings another major Philippine competition to the calendar, featuring several of the country&#8217;s top solvers across multiple events.</p><p>One of the key names to watch is <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023ABAR02">Karl Abarquez</a>, one of the Philippines&#8217; strongest Clock competitors. Abarquez has ranks among the top Clock solvers in the world, including official results of 1.84 single and 2.55 average, both top-10 globally.</p><p>The competition continues the Philippines&#8217; rapid growth as a major region in international speedcubing, particularly in side events where several Filipino competitors now rank among the world&#8217;s best.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[WCA Opens 2026 Community Events Survey]]></title><description><![CDATA[Survey asks cubers about possible new events, lower-tier status, and how future championships could handle expanded event lists.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/wca-opens-2026-community-events-survey</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/wca-opens-2026-community-events-survey</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 14:16:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 1272w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ldau!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fc7230b-b742-42be-ac15-f1d4544a0853_1672x941.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>The <a href="http://worldcubeassociation.org">World Cube Association</a> has launched a new community survey asking competitors and organizers for feedback on the future of WCA events, including the possible addition of new official events and changes to championship structure.</p><p>The survey was shared on the <a href="https://forum.worldcubeassociation.org/">WCA Forum</a> by newly elected WCA Board member <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022HEXT01">Oliver Hexter</a> and focuses heavily on community interest surrounding unofficial events that could eventually become part of the official WCA lineup.</p><p><strong>Among the proposed events listed in the survey are:</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><ul><li><p>3x3x3 Team Blind</p></li><li><p>4x4x4 One-Handed</p></li><li><p>8x8x8 Cube</p></li><li><p>Face-Turning Octahedron (FTO)</p></li><li><p>Ivy Cube</p></li><li><p>Kilominx</p></li><li><p>Master Pyraminx</p></li><li><p>Mini Guildford Relay</p></li><li><p>Mirror Blocks</p></li><li><p>Redi Cube</p></li></ul><p>Participants are asked to select up to three events they would most like to see added.</p><p>The survey also explores how a potential &#8220;lower tier&#8221; of events could function within the WCA. Respondents are asked whether those events should have separate championships, stricter qualification requirements, fewer rounds, or rotate in and out of major competitions. Another option suggests avoiding a lower-tier system entirely.</p><p>Discussion surrounding new official events has grown significantly in recent years, particularly around FTO and Kilominx, both of which already have active unofficial competition scenes and dedicated rankings.</p><p>At the same time, event expansion remains a divisive topic within the community. Supporters argue that adding modern popular puzzles would help the WCA evolve alongside the hobby, while critics point to increasing competition lengths, staffing demands, and organizational complexity.</p><p>The survey is currently open through the WCA Forum.<br><a href="https://forum.worldcubeassociation.org/t/wca-community-events-survey-2026/66910">Read the full WCA Forum post here.</a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Plus Three Podcast - Season 3 Ep. 3]]></title><description><![CDATA[Watch Episode 3 as the crew discusses the next sub-4 average, Max Park's continued dominance, up-and-coming Zerui Cheng, and the latest stories across speedcubing.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/plus-three-podcast-season-3-ep-3</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/plus-three-podcast-season-3-ep-3</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Manu Singhal]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 00:44:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/75-fgPmuIq4" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to Season 3 of Plus Three, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Speedcubing-TV">SpeedcubingTV</a>&#8217;s weekly podcast covering the biggest stories, moments, and conversations across the cubing community.</p><p>In Episode 3, hosts <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2014EPPL01">John Eppley</a>, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2013SING12">Manu Singhal</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrosey100?igsh=dWZzaWR4amhuNjUy">Michael Rosenkranz</a> break down another busy week in speedcubing, including who will get the next sub-4 average, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2012park03">Max Park</a>&#8217;s continued dominance, the up-and-coming <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2023CHEN15">Zerui Cheng</a>, Worlds predictions, and the latest stories across speedcubing.</p><p><strong>Watch the episode below.</strong></p><div id="youtube2-75-fgPmuIq4" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;75-fgPmuIq4&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/75-fgPmuIq4?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><h3><strong>Want more Plus Three?</strong></h3><p>Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li><p>Who will get the next sub-4 average?</p></li><li><p>Max Park&#8217;s continued dominance</p></li><li><p>The up-and-coming Zerui Cheng</p></li><li><p>Weekly speedcubing news and community discussion</p></li></ul><p>New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV &amp; <a href="http://speedcubersdigest.com">Speedcuber&#8217;s Digest</a>.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[WCA Names New Chair and Executive Director in Officer Update]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dan Smith has been appointed WCA Executive Director, while Abdullah Gulab has been named WCA Chair as part of the latest officer appointments.]]></description><link>https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/wca-names-new-chair-and-executive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/p/wca-names-new-chair-and-executive</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Eppley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 03:18:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hmD0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc08de059-d68e-44a7-9af1-a932a6b3f62f_1672x941.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2018SMIT42">Dan Smith</a> has been appointed WCA Executive Director after previously serving as the WCA&#8217;s acting Chief Operating Officer. According to the WCA, the appointment better reflects Smith&#8217;s leadership across WCA volunteers and aligns the role with the organization&#8217;s governance documents. The WCA also noted that there is no change to Smith&#8217;s day-to-day duties and responsibilities.</p><p><a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2014GULA02">Abdullah Gulab</a> has been appointed WCA Chair. Gulab previously served as WCA Treasurer and WCA Vice-Chair.</p><p><strong>Read the <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/posts/changes-in-wca-officers-may-2026">WCA&#8217;s announcement here.</a></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Support independent speedcubing coverage. Subscribe, gift a membership to another cuber, or join as a group for discounted access.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>The WCA also announced several additional officer appointments. <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2022HEXT01">Oliver Hexter</a> has been appointed WCA Secretary, <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2013ARVI02">Sachin Arvind</a> has been appointed WCA Treasurer, and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016VEDM01">Glib Vedmid</a> and <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2016lope37">Rub&#233;n L&#243;pez de Juan</a> have been appointed WCA Vice-Chairs.</p><p><a href="http://Nick Silvestri">Nick Silvestri</a> has vacated the WCA Chair position, while <a href="https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2010THOM03">Blake Thompson</a> has vacated the WCA Secretary position as their Board terms approach their end. The WCA thanked both Silvestri and Thompson for their service through their Director and Officer roles.</p><p>Officer roles are formal legal positions connected to running the WCA as a nonprofit organization. The changes update the organization&#8217;s officer structure while keeping Smith&#8217;s operational responsibilities unchanged.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share Speedcuber's Digest&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.speedcubersdigest.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share Speedcuber's Digest</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>