In S3 Episode 24, guest host DG the Artist joins John Eppley and Manu Singhal to discuss who the boys think will win the PSL Championship this weekend and what they are most looking forward to in Vegas, including DG’s halftime show.

We also take a look into DG’s favorite songs of his own in the hot minute, and what the future of cubing concerts could look like. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end for a show and tell segment, where Manu shows off his llama.

Watch the episode below.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Paid members can also watch the extended cut with bonus discussion.
Watch the extended subscriber edition here.

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I think Kyle Santucci will win the PSL Championships. His North American Championship final in July is what really sold me.

Kyle became 2026 North American Champion with a 5.63 average:
5.30, (6.28), (5.23), 5.50, and 6.09.

I’ve always thought Kyle had more speed than his results showed. When all cylinders are firing, his turning speed is arguably the fastest in this field. That’s why I’m picking him, although the nerves and lockups still concern me.

Why the Format Matters

The championship uses a double-elimination bracket, with matches growing to best of 5 sets in the finals. My thought is that the longer format will help Kyle. A WCA final gives you five solves, and a couple of mistakes can change everything. Over several sets, I think his talent has more time to shine through.

Of course, that depends on him keeping the lockups under control. More solves won’t fix that on their own, but after watching NAC, I trust him more than I did before.

There Is a Case for Everyone

The nmckee.com simulation linked here puts Luke Griesser first at 25.74% chance to win, followed by Dylan Miller at 25.13% and Kyle at 18.08%. Those are results from a simulation using WCA results, not established odds for PSL’s bracket.

Dylan Miller won PSL season MVP. If you’re picking based on who has done the most in PSL this season, it’s hard to argue against him.

Patrick Ponce looked composed at PSL Michigan and broke the one-handed world record single soon after. If any match comes down to a few close solves, I’d trust him to handle the pressure.

Valerio Locatelli is new to PSL, but he was second at the European Championship with a 5.74 average. He finished ahead of Tymon Kolasiński in that competition.

Morgan Yeh sits sixth in the simulation at 6.58%, but he beat Kyle at the 2025 Canadian Championship, winning with 6.10 to Kyle’s 6.19. I can’t count him out when he’s already beaten the person I’m picking.

Luke Is My Second Pick

Luke is my second pick. His F2L and ZB execution have looked much more consistent lately, and his lookahead has been excellent. Watching him, I feel like he’s getting things to click at a right time.

The simulation already favors him, so he’s hardly a dark horse by the numbers, but it’s his recent improvement that makes him my second pick.

Kyle is still my pick, but I can make an argument for any of these six. NAC was the performance I’d been waiting to see from Kyle, and I think he can repeat that performance.

The PSL Championships take place October 24, 2026, at Container Park in Las Vegas, Nevada. Watch live on SpeedcubingTV’s YouTube channel.

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Ayden Dincher won the New England 3x3 final with a 7.08 average, just ahead of 7.09 and 7.10. In Virginia, the winning margin was only 0.04 seconds. Meanwhile, Yi Shen beat world-record holder Xuanyi Geng in Guilin.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Wrap, where we catch up on the stories from this week’s preview and the other news you may have missed.

Villadolid Takes New England Title in a Tight Final

Dincher’s 7.08 put him first overall at the CubingUSA New England Championship in Providence. Brandon Villadolid finished second at 7.09, with defending overall winner Daniel Gutierrez third at 7.10. Varun Mohanraj was just behind them at 7.13.

Benjamin Wei won 7x7 with a 2:02.90 mean. Jeffrey Li, last year’s winner, finished third at 2:09.44 but took 6x6 with 1:22.09. Mohanraj added the 5x5 win with 45.83.

Li retained the regional 7x7 title as the highest-placed New England resident and also took the 6x6 title. Cameron Soulagnet claimed the regional titles in 4x4 and 5x5, finishing second overall in both with 27.35 and 48.26.

Shen Wins After Geng’s 3.84

Geng set the pace through the first two rounds at Guilin Open, leading with 4.32 and then 3.84. His second round included a 3.15 single.

Shen took the final with 4.66, ahead of Geng’s 5.32. Zhen Chen completed the podium with 6.01, then won one-handed with an 8.01 average.

Nielsen Makes It Three Straight Virginia Titles

Easan Peacock won the Virginia Championship 3x3 final with 6.94, narrowly ahead of Michael Nielsen at 6.98. Fiona Bao finished third with 7.67. Nielsen was the top ranked Virgina competitor.

Bao also won 6x6 and 7x7, with means of 1:24.71 and 2:17.03. Ari Randers-Pehrson took 4x4 in 21.62 and 5x5 in 48.25, while Zayn Khanani won 2x2 with 1.11 and Skewb with 2.10.

The Virginia big-cube titles split three ways. Randers-Pehrson took 4x4 and 5x5, while Owen Chester took 6x6 with 1:34.08 and Octavio Zegarra took 7x7 with 2:20.86. Chester and Zegarra each finished second overall. Khanani also retained the state titles in 2x2 and Skewb.

Delacoste Leads the Swiss Finishers

Richard Delacoste was the highest-placed Swiss competitor in the Swiss Nationals 3x3 final, averaging 7.01. Julian Bürgi followed at 7.08.

Italy’s Valerio Locatelli led the overall results with 6.22. He will be competing in PSL Championships this upcoming weekend.

Delacoste also won 5x5 and 6x6 overall, while Alwin Rölz took 7x7 with a 2:12.62 mean. Eden Robinson-Rechavi, the leading 3x3 entrant by personal best, finished 12th in that final but won one-handed with 9.51.

Familiar Winners in Finland

Ludwig Ivarsson and Vincent von Schantz repeated their finishing order from last year at the Finnish Championship.

Ivarsson won overall with 6.35. Von Schantz finished second at 7.39, retaining the Finnish title, and also won one-handed with 11.35.

Lauri Korhonen swept 4x4 through 7x7. His weekend included Finnish records of 23.28 for the 4x4 average and 1:20.96 for the 6x6 single.

Elsewhere in the Digest

George Scholey ran a mile and solved four cubes in 5:09.25 in Toronto on October 12, lowering Jake Hanson’s Guinness World Record by 13.50 seconds. The attempt allowed no inspection time, and the clock kept running throughout. Read our full story and watch the attempt.

MoYu will be the title sponsor of the 2027 WCA World Championship in Uppsala, Sweden. Registration begins November 22, with three qualification phases and 2,000 competitor spots. Our Worlds update covers registration, tickets, and volunteering.

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We also take a look into how the PSL started, what he thinks makes cubing worth watching, and the PSL Championship in Las Vegas this Saturday. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to see where he hopes cubing and the PSL are in five years.

Watch the edited public version below.

Want the full conversation?
Paid members can watch the Extended Subscriber Edition in Exclusive here.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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We also take a look into how the PSL started, what he thinks makes cubing worth watching, and the PSL Championship in Las Vegas this Saturday. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to see where he hopes cubing and the PSL are in five years.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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MoYu will be the title sponsor of the 2027 WCA World Championship, taking place July 22-25 at IFU Arena in Uppsala, Sweden. It will be the manufacturer’s first time sponsoring Worlds.

Sweden was already confirmed as the host. Now, the competition website is live with registration dates, qualification standards and ticket information.

This will be the 13th World Championship and the first in Europe since Paris in 2017.

Registration Opens November 22

Registration costs 1,300 Swedish kronor, with 2,000 competitor spots available. The three registration phases have different qualification standards, with faster competitors able to register first.

For 3x3, the phases are:

• Phase 1, November 22-December 2, 2026: An official average under 7.00 seconds.

• Phase 2, December 6-16, 2026: An official average under 9.00 seconds.

• Phase 3, December 20, 2026-March 31, 2027: An official average under 1 minute.

The first phase opens at 3 p.m. CET on November 22, or 9 a.m. Eastern. Payment is required to complete registration.

Qualifying in any one event is enough to register during that phase. Check the full qualification list for each event’s requirements. Your result must be strictly better than the listed mark.

Getting a spot early does not automatically sign you up for your other events. If you register in Phase 1 but only meet the Phase 3 standard for another event, you’ll need to add that event when Phase 3 opens. Newly earned qualifying results can also be added once they’re posted.

The final day to earn qualifying results is May 23, 2027, although the final registration phase ends March 31.

Finals Tickets Sold Separately

Competitors can enter the venue with their badges, while spectators and guests will need entry tickets.

Watching the finals in Hall A requires a separate ticket. That applies to competitors and volunteers, too.

A presale for competitors and accepted volunteers is expected to open December 27, 2026, with finals tickets available at a subsidized price of 10 SEK per day. General ticket sales are expected to begin January 10, 2027. Both entry and finals tickets are limited.

The schedule includes the MoYu Nations Cup on Thursday and the 3x3 final on Sunday. Exact session times may still change.

Volunteers Can Get Priority Registration

Volunteer applications are open for judging, scrambling, registration, livestream coverage and other roles.

Those who apply before November 22, 2026, and are accepted can register between Phases 2 and 3. Anyone using that priority option must keep their volunteer commitment to keep their competition registration.

Volunteers who complete their duties will receive a registration-fee refund, along with benefits including daily lunch and volunteer shirts. General applications close March 31, 2027. The livestream team has an earlier deadline of February 1.

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George Scholey solved four 3x3s and ran a full mile in 5:09.25 at Central Tech in Toronto on October 12, 2026, beating Jake Hanson’s previous record of 5:22.75.

Guinness World Records has confirmed the result. Scholey posted the full, uncut attempt.

Scholey had to solve a cube before each of four 400-meter laps, then run another 9.344 meters to finish the mile. The clock never stopped, and the cubes stayed covered until each solve began. No inspection time.

Scholey used Rubik’s Speed Pro cubes, completing the four solves in approximately 37.5 seconds combined. His fastest solve was around 8.5 seconds, and his running splits ranged from roughly 67 to 70 seconds.

George also had help on the track. Different pacers ran ahead of him on different laps, giving him someone to follow and helping him stay on pace. Between the pacers and the crowd, there were plenty of people invested in seeing him get the record.

Even with a 2:34 marathon best and years of cubing experience, Scholey found the combination difficult.

In an interview with Canadian Running, Scholey explained that he normally plans his first 20 moves during inspection. Here, he had to pick up each cube and begin working immediately.

he magazine reported that Scholey shifted toward speed training after April’s Boston Marathon. He also practiced solving without inspection, but a rehearsal six days before the attempt showed him how much harder it became after a fast lap.

“This one was objectively the most difficult I’ve done,” he told Canadian Running.

Away from these record attempts, Scholey competes in WCA events, where his best 3x3 results are a 4.91 single and 6.40 average. He moved to Toronto to work as an associate brand manager for Rubik’s.

His previous Guinness achievements include solving 6,931 cubes in 24 hours in November 2022 and 500 cubes while riding a skateboard.

He has also combined running and cubing over a much longer distance. At the 2024 London Marathon, he solved 520 cubes while completing the race.

Watching the attempt, I think a sub-five-minute time is within reach for George. Finding another 9.26 seconds would take some work, but I’d love to see him give it another shot.

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In this episode, hosts Dylan Miller and Chris Mills cover the latest from the speedcubing world, with a wide-ranging conversation on recent results, storylines, and what’s coming next.

Watch the full episode below.

New episodes release every Friday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Guilin has a 3x3 field that could headline a much larger competition. The world’s second- through fifth-ranked solvers by average are all registered for Sunday’s event. Elsewhere, New England has a tight race at the top, Michael Nielsen looks for another Virginia title, and Switzerland and Finland welcome back their defending champions.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Preview, where we look ahead at the potential storylines going into the weekend.

Four of the World’s Top Five in Guilin

Xuanyi Geng, Yize Dong, Yi Shen, and Yunzhi Lian lead the field at Guilin Open 2026 on October 18 in Guilin, Guangxi.

Geng brings a 3.67 personal-best average, followed by Dong at 4.07, Shen at 4.24, and Lian at 4.27. Those times place them second through fifth in the world. Geng also holds the 3x3 single world record at 2.51.

With three rounds of 3x3 scheduled, the group will have several chances to put up a fast average before the final decides the winner.

Zhen Chen adds another name to watch. His 5.09 average puts him fifth in the registered 3x3 field, but one-handed is his best event. His 6.99 world record average leads Zijian Cai at 9.84.

Just 0.12 Seconds Between New England’s Top Four

CubingUSA New England Championship 2026 runs October 16-18 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, with little separating the leading 3x3 entrants.

Curtis Chai leads by personal-best average at 6.03. Nicolás Sánchez follows at 6.06, while Ayden Dincher and Varun Mohanraj are tied at 6.15.

Daniel Gutierrez returns after winning last year’s final with 6.98, ahead of Chai’s 7.14. His 6.59 personal best ranks sixth among this year’s entrants, so the returning winner has several challengers ahead of him on paper.

The 7x7 race is close too. Jeffrey Li, last year’s winner, leads with a 1:57.26 best mean. Benjamin Wei follows at 1:57.74.

The competition is open to everyone, but regional titles are reserved for eligible residents of the six New England states.

Robinson-Rechavi Challenges Delacoste in Switzerland

Richard Delacoste won last year’s Swiss Nationals with a 6.48 average. He returns to Swiss Nationals 2026, October 16-18 in Giubiasco, Bellinzona, with another Swiss competitor ahead of him on the 3x3 psych sheet.

Eden Robinson-Rechavi leads the overall field with 5.64. Italy’s Valerio Locatelli follows at 5.68 and Israel’s Ben Baron at 5.80. Delacoste brings 5.94, with fellow Swiss contender Alwin Rölz at 6.31.

Robinson-Rechavi also leads one-handed with an 8.13 average, while Delacoste tops the registered fields from 4x4 through 7x7. Rölz is close behind him in 4x4, with 22.89 to Delacoste’s 22.68.

The Swiss 3x3 finalists will compete in the organizers’ 1v1 format. Qualifying international competitors will solve in a separate group with a different scramble set.

Nielsen Looks for a Third Straight Virginia Title

Michael Nielsen enters Virginia Championship 2026 after taking the state’s 3x3 title in both 2024 and 2025. This year’s competition runs October 17-18 at the Henrico Sports & Events Center in the Richmond area.

Nielsen’s 6.21 personal-best average leads the registered field, just ahead of Easan Peacock at 6.33. Liam Manwaring follows at 6.64, with Zayn Khanani at 6.69 and Fiona Bao at 6.79.

Bao leads the overall fields in 6x6, 7x7, and Clock. Ari Randers-Pehrson, who took Virginia’s titles from 4x4 through 7x7 last year, leads this year’s 4x4 and 5x5 fields.

Khanani is also the top seed in 2x2 and Skewb, the two events in which he won state titles last year. As in New England, the overall results and championship titles are separate: only eligible Virginia residents can claim the state titles.

Von Schantz and Ivarsson Return in Finland

Finnish Championship 2026 runs October 16-18 in Kirkkonummi, with last year’s top two in 3x3 returning.

Sweden’s Ludwig Ivarsson won the 2025 final with 7.08. Vincent von Schantz finished second at 7.23, taking the Finnish title as the highest-placed Finnish competitor.

Ivarsson again leads the overall field by personal best, 6.14 to von Schantz’s 6.33. Callum McArthur-Mortell is the next Finnish contender at 6.95, followed by Urho Kinnunen at 7.10.

Kinnunen and von Schantz are even closer in one-handed. Their best averages are 10.39 and 10.41, respectively, with both well ahead of the rest of the registered field.

Lauri Korhonen leads all four big-cube fields, from 4x4 through 7x7. Half of the places in each final are reserved for competitors representing Finland.

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In S3 Episode 23, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Matthew Mayernik discuss Xuanyi’s new 2.51 world record and how long the boys think it can possibly last, as it might not even make it to next years Worlds.

We also take a look into if holding the 4x4 through 7x7 records is harder than getting a 3x3 world record, after Timofei Tarasenko’s recent big cube records. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to see if Teodor Zajder has officially passed Tymon Kolasiński or not.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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In S3 Episode 23, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Matthew Mayernik discuss Xuanyi’s new 2.51 world record and how long the boys think it can possibly last, as it might not even make it to next years Worlds.

We also take a look into if holding the 4x4 through 7x7 records is harder than getting a 3x3 world record, after Timofei Tarasenko’s recent big cube records. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to see if Teodor Zajder has officially passed Tymon Kolasiński or not.

Watch the episode below.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Paid members can also watch the extended cut with bonus discussion.
Watch the extended subscriber edition here.

Want more Plus Three?

Paid members help support independent speedcubing media, including podcasts, interviews, event coverage, editorials, and future exclusive content on Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Teodor Zajder recorded a 4.37 3x3 European-record average twice in Gdańsk. In Peru, the defending champion completed his three-peat, while the 3x3 titles changed hands in Thailand and Jordan.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Wrap. Here’s how the stories from our weekend preview played out.

Zajder Sets the Record, Then Matches It

Zajder lowered his own European record from 4.41 to 4.37 in the first round of GLS Gdańsk VI 2026. After a 4.63 in the second round, he matched the record in the final to win 3x3.

The improvement moves him to world No. 8 in average. It came less than a week after Xuanyi Geng’s 2.51 and Yang Pin Xiu’s 2.74 pushed his former world-record single of 2.76 to third.

Read our full report on his two 4.37 averages.

Kolasiński Wins Overall, Morais Keeps Portugal’s Title

Tymon Kolasiński won 3x3 at Portugal Championship 2026 with a 4.94 average, including a 3.87 single in the final. He also won 4x4 with 18.86 and 5x5 with 35.79.

Tiago Morais finished second overall with 7.89 to retain the Portuguese 3x3 title. Afonso Cláudio Machado followed with 8.24.

Morais also won one-handed with a 12.42 national-record average. He set an 11.24 national-record single in the first round and a 23.82 national-record 4x4 average during the weekend.

The expected matchup between Kolasiński and Valerio Locatelli did not take place. Locatelli has no results listed for the competition.

Tangprasittipol Takes Thailand’s 3x3 Title

Enoch Tangprasittipol won Thailand Championship 2026 with a 6.86 average. William Baek finished second overall with 7.15, followed by Phuwish Sripattrapan at 7.23.

With Baek representing the United States, Sripattrapan took national silver. Defending champion Parist Pariyakanok finished fourth overall with 7.42, earning national bronze.

Pariyakanok won one-handed with 10.35. Natthaphat Mahtani followed at 10.46, just ahead of Tangprasittipol’s 10.49. The three favorites from the preview filled that podium, separated by 0.14 seconds.

Three Straight for Cuipal Maguiña

Jose Antonio Cuipal Maguiña won his third consecutive 3x3 title at Peru Nationals 2026, finishing with a 6.42 average. Francisco Barrenechea Sanchez took second with 8.66, and David Quispe was third with 8.99.

Cuipal Maguiña also set a 4.43 national-record single in the first round.

Benjamín Ochoa, last year’s 3x3 runner-up, finished fifth this time with 9.18. He won both 4x4 and 5x5, with averages of 29.03 and 53.45. Juan Pablo Huanqui won Megaminx with 34.43, ahead of Cuipal Maguiña’s 38.17.

Riedl Wins FMC Europe

Jan Riedl won FMC Europe 2026 with a 20.67 mean, a Czech national record. His solutions were 19, 23, and 20 moves.

Niklas Aasen Eliasson finished second with a 21.33 Norwegian-record mean, while Yurii Riabov took third with 22.00. Adam Marcellus Kelly and Moritz Lotz tied for fourth at 22.67. Adrien Neveu, who shared the best personal mean in the registered field, has no results listed.

The competition also decided six national titles:

• Ukraine: Riabov, 22.00.

• Greece: Konstantinos Zaglanis, 35.33.

• Cyprus: Giorgos Sofroniou, 41.00.

• Netherlands: Mattheo de Wit, 28.67.

• Switzerland: Timo Günthardt, 23.33.

• Estonia: Remo Pihel, 31.67.

Omar Beats Both Returning Finalists in Jordan

Abdallah Belal Omar won Jordan Nationals 2026 with a 9.10 average, ahead of Zaid Mayyas at 9.44 and defending champion Kamel Hammouri at 9.93.

The preview focused on last year’s top two, but Omar finished ahead of both. He also won 2x2 with a 2.45 average.

Alolaimi Defends Both Titles in Kuwait

Ahmad Alolaimi won 3x3 at Kuwait Nationals 2026 with an 8.84 average, ahead of Mikhail Nikitin at 9.52 and Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa at 10.75.

Alolaimi also retained the one-handed title with 16.91, beating Nikitin’s 17.21 by 0.30 seconds. The defending champion won both matchups highlighted in the preview.

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We also take a look into the early days of the magnetic cube, the lawsuit with Rubik’s, and where Phil thinks the cubing industry should go from here. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to hear who Phil is outside of The Cubicle.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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We also take a look into the early days of the magnetic cube, the lawsuit with Rubik’s, and where Phil thinks the cubing industry should go from here. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to hear who Phil is outside of The Cubicle.

Watch the edited public version below.

Want the full conversation?
Paid members can watch the Extended Subscriber Edition in Exclusive here.

New episodes release every Monday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Teodor Zajder lowered his own 3x3 European record to 4.37 at GLS Gdańsk VI 2026 in Poland on October 11. He set the record in the first round, then matched it in the final to win the event.

The improvement takes 0.04 seconds off his previous record of 4.41, set at GLS Gdańsk III 2026 in April. The 4.37 average moves him from ninth to eighth in the world, just ahead of Bofan Zhang’s 4.38. Zajder remains the highest-ranked cuber outside China in 3x3 average.

His first-round solves were 3.89, (5.18), 4.11, 5.12, (3.71). The closing 3.71 was his fastest 3x3 single of the competition, and counted the earlier 3.89.

After a 4.63 in the second round, he finished with (4.14), 4.31, (6.27), 4.37, 4.43 in the final. That gave him another 4.37 average, this time with a more consistent average.

This comes just days after Xuanyi Geng reclaimed the world record with 2.51, while Yang Pin Xiu recorded a 2.74. Those two solves pushed Zajder’s 2.76 from first to third in one competition.

Zajder had held that record since February, when he became the first person to record an official sub-3 single at GLS Big Cubes Gdańsk 2026.

He also won the European 3x3 title in July, finishing with a 5.46 average ahead of Valerio Locatelli’s 5.74 and Tymon Kolasiński’s 5.90. He won 2x2 that weekend as well, with a 1.01 average.

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In this episode, hosts Dylan Miller and Chris Mills cover the latest from the speedcubing world, with a wide-ranging conversation on recent results, storylines, and what’s coming next.

Watch the full episode below.

New episodes release every Friday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

Want more Millisecond?

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Thailand’s defending champion faces a close field this weekend. In Portugal, two international visitors lead the overall field, while Tiago Morais returns to defend his national title. Peru, Jordan, and Kuwait also crown champions, and FMC Europe brings together competitors across the continent.

Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Preview, where we look ahead at the potential storylines going into the weekend.

A Close Title Defense in Thailand

Thailand Championship 2026 runs October 9-11 in Pathum Thani, with just 0.16 seconds separating the top three entrants by personal-best 3x3 average.

Parist Pariyakanok leads at 6.02, ahead of Enoch Tangprasittipol at 6.06 and Natthaphat Mahtani at 6.18.

Pariyakanok won last year’s title with a 7.29 average, just 0.05 ahead of Thada Phuenghua, who also returns.

The same leading trio carries over to one-handed. Pariyakanok brings a 9.49 best average, followed by Tangprasittipol at 10.06 and Mahtani at 10.13. Pariyakanok has the edge on paper in both events, but he will need to perform his best to win the titles.

Two Races to Follow in Portugal

Portugal Championship 2026 takes place October 9-11 in Luso, Aveiro, with Tymon Kolasiński and Valerio Locatelli leading the overall 3x3 field.

Kolasiński’s 4.49 best average puts him ahead of Locatelli at 5.68, but Locatelli finished ahead of him at July’s European Championship, taking second in 3x3 with 5.74 to Kolasiński’s third-place 5.90.

Tymon is registered for every cube event from 2x2 through 7x7, while Locatelli also leads the one-handed field with a 9.79 average.

The Portuguese title race starts with Tiago Morais. His 7.05 leads Afonso Cláudio Machado at 7.47 and Pedro Azevedo at 7.97.

Morais was the highest-placed Portuguese competitor in last year’s 3x3 final, finishing seventh overall with 8.26. Machado followed at 8.78. With Kolasiński and Locatelli visiting, the overall win and national title could again go to different people.

Cuipal Maguiña Chases Three Straight

Jose Antonio Cuipal Maguiña enters Peru Nationals 2026 looking for his third consecutive 3x3 national title. The competition runs October 9-11 in Nuevo Chimbote.

He won in 2024 with 6.82 and again last year with 7.21. His 6.34 personal best leads this year’s field, ahead of returning runner-up Benjamín Ochoa at 7.11 and Carlos Daniel Torres Tello at 7.73.

Ochoa also leads the psych sheets for 4x4 and 5x5, while Juan Pablo Huanqui is the clear Megaminx favorite. Huanqui’s 30.39 best average puts him more than nine seconds ahead of Cuipal Maguiña’s 39.79.

Six National Titles at FMC Europe

FMC Europe 2026 takes place October 10 across multiple locations, with Adam Marcellus Kelly and Adrien Neveu sharing the best personal mean in the registered field at 19.67 moves.

Moritz Lotz and Yurii Riabov follow at 20.33.

Alongside the overall competition, the event will decide the FMC national titles for Ukraine, Greece, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Estonia. Eligible competitors can win their country’s title from any participating location.

Hammouri and Mayyas Meet Again in Jordan

Jordan Nationals 2026 runs October 9-10 in Amman, with last year’s top two returning.

Kamel Hammouri won the 2025 final with 9.06, ahead of Zaid Mayyas at 9.80. They lead this year’s field by personal-best average, with Hammouri at 8.30 and Mayyas at 9.11.

Abdallah Belal Omar and Zakarya Otair are tied behind them at 9.25.

Alolaimi Returns as Kuwait’s Favorite

Kuwait Nationals 2026 takes place October 9-10 at the Kuwait Science Club, with Ahmad Alolaimi returning after winning last year’s 3x3 final with 9.03.

His 8.07 personal-best average leads the overall field, ahead of Russia’s Mikhail Nikitin at 9.09. Ghanim Abdulaziz Almutawa is the next Kuwaiti contender at 9.76.

Alolaimi also won one-handed last year. His 14.76 best average leads Nikitin’s 15.18, giving the pair another event to contest.

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In S3 Episode 22, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Dylan Miller discuss Yize Dong’s immaculate average in China and what this might mean for next year’s Worlds 2027.. Another possible issue the boys see is whether the Chinese cubers can get a visa for Sweden as nobody can say for certain.

We also take a look into Timofei Tarasenko’s recent world records at Beijing Autumn, and discuss who can possibly take the big cubing records off him. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to see who we rank as the cuber with the most “aura”.

Watch the episode below.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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In S3 Episode 22, hosts John Eppley, Manu Singhal, and Dylan Miller discuss Yize Dong’s immaculate average in China and what this might mean for next year’s Worlds 2027.. Another possible issue the boys see is whether the Chinese cubers can get a visa for Sweden as nobody can say for certain.

We also take a look into Timofei Tarasenko’s recent world records at Beijing Autumn, and discuss who can possibly take the big cubing records off him. Also, make sure to stay tuned till the end to see who we rank as the cuber with the most “aura”.

New episodes release every Wednesday on SpeedcubingTV & Speedcuber’s Digest.

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Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Wrap!

This week, we’re carrying the coverage through Tuesday to include Guangzhou, the second stop in China from our weekend preview.

Four World Records for Tarasenko

Timofei Tarasenko set three world records at Beijing Autumn Rivalry 2026: a 1:01.76 6x6 mean, a 1:27.47 7x7 single and a 1:35.93 7x7 mean.

The 7x7 single took more than three seconds off Max Park’s record, leaving Park with just one remaining WCA world record, his 57.69 6x6 single. Tymon Kolasiński still took the 5x5 and 6x6 wins in Beijing. Read our full Beijing report.

Tarasenko then added his first 5x5 world record at Guangzhou Grand Open 2026 on October 6. His 33.19 semifinal average beat Kolasiński’s 33.73, with the former record holder competing in the same round.

Tarasenko also won the final, averaging 34.62 to Kolasiński’s 34.73. Read the full 5x5 record story.

Geng Reclaims the Record, Wang Wins Both Finals

Xuanyi Geng reclaimed the 3x3 single world record with 2.51 in Guangzhou, beating Teodor Zajder’s 2.76 by a quarter of a second. Geng first held the record with 3.05 in 2025. Read the full record story.

Yize Dong had already made his own move in the opening round. His 4.07 average took him to world No. 3, improving his previous best by 0.37 seconds. He also lowered his single to 3.15. Watch Dong’s average and read our report.

But Yiheng Wang won both 3x3 finals. In Beijing, he averaged 4.26 to beat Geng by 0.07 seconds, despite Geng’s opening-round 3.70 with all five solves under four seconds. Wang followed that with a 4.20 winning average in Guangzhou.

Sun Goes Sub-20 in FMC

Nachuan Sun won Quanzhou FMC Autumn 2026 with a 19.67 mean, a Chinese national record and world No. 3.

Sun finished first in all three rounds, closing with solutions of 23, 18 and 18 moves. Read our full FMC report.

Sato Takes Sydney’s Decathlon

Sora Sato won the overall title at Sydney Cubing Decathlon 2026. The final standings used a sum of ranks across the 10 events, with the lowest total winning. Sato finished on 26, ahead of Jack McCarley on 43.

The separate 3x3 final went to Caden Liu with a 6.58 average. Sato placed second at 6.72, followed by Bryan Eng at 6.86.

Tuule Retains the Estonian Title

Kaur Tuule won both the national title and the overall 3x3 final at Nuti Estonian Championship 2026 with a 7.10 average.

Our preview had Switzerland’s Alwin Rölz just 0.09 seconds behind Tuule by personal best. The final gap was wider: Rölz averaged 7.94 for second, while Remo Pihel took third overall and second among Estonians with 8.52.

Vujasić Keeps Croatia’s Title, Vidiček Wins Overall

Oskar Vidiček won the Croatian Championship 2026 3x3 final with an 8.35 average. The Slovenian improved on his second-place overall finish from last year.

David Vujasić retained the Croatian title with 9.06, finishing second overall. Jakov Srečković followed at 9.23, and Toni Sekula completed the national podium with 9.71.

Lana Bedek entered with the fastest Croatian personal-best average, but finished sixth overall and fourth among Croatians with 10.25. As expected, the overall win and national title went to different competitors.

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