European Championship 2026 Day 1 Recap: Records, Near Misses and a Dutch Relay Win
Tymon Kolasiński came within 0.09 seconds of his 4x4 world record, Nicholas Archer matched his One-Handed continental record, and the Netherlands won a dramatic Nations Cup Relay.
The opening day of the 2026 WCA European Championship delivered an immediate mix of record-level solving, narrow misses, and one of the loudest celebrations of the competition so far.
Tymon Kolasiński led the individual results with another major big-cube performance, while Nicholas Archer matched his European One-Handed record. The Netherlands closed the day by defeating Germany in the Nations Cup Relay after favorite Poland was eliminated in the semifinal.
Tymon Kolasiński Nearly Breaks His 4x4 World Record
Kolasiński opened 4x4 with an 18.65 average, finishing just 0.09 seconds behind his own 18.56 world record.
His solves were (20.30), (17.85), 18.32, 18.18, and 19.46. All five were below 20.31 seconds, giving him an unusually consistent set even without a new record.
Several competitors said Kolasiński encountered OLL parity on his fifth solve, which may have prevented the world record. That detail has not been independently confirmed, but the 19.46 was still fast enough to complete the third-best 4x4 average in history, all being held by Tymon.
Kolasiński remains the only competitor with an official sub-18.60 average, with Max Park ranked second globally at 18.74.
Kolasiński Lowers His 7x7 European Record
Kolasiński added a continental record in the first round of 7x7, recording a 1:42.14 mean from solves of 1:40.80, 1:42.38, and 1:43.24.
The result improved his previous European record of 1:42.18 by 0.04 seconds. He had set that mark less than a week earlier at NxN in Jura 2026, where he also reclaimed the European single with a 1:34.32.
Unlike that earlier performance, Thursday’s mean did not rely on one standout solve. All three attempts were within 2.44 seconds of one another, giving Kolasiński one of the most consistent elite 7x7 means on record.
Nicholas Archer Matches His One-Handed European Record
Nicholas Archer recorded a 7.95 One-Handed average in the first round, exactly matching his existing European record.
Archer’s solves were (9.60), 8.00, 8.09, (7.11), and 7.76.
The result also matches the 7.95 he recorded at Manchester February 2025, which had briefly stood as the world record and remains the third-fastest official One-Handed average.
Eden Robinson-Rechavi finished second in the round with an 8.32, while Igor Gładysz followed at 8.83.
Timofei Tarasenko Misses Day 1 of Euros Due to Alleged Visa Issues
One major name was absent from the opening day.
Timofei Tarasenko was unable to attend the championship’s opening day because of alleged visa issues. His absence is a significant loss for a field where he was expected to contend across the big cubes and Megaminx.
Tarasenko entered the championship as one of Europe’s strongest multi-event competitors and had recently traded 7x7 continental records with Kolasiński.
He has only missed Day 1 so far, and the reported visa issue has not been officially confirmed. There is still a chance he could arrive later in the competition, although at this point it appears unlikely. The exact reason his visa was allegedly not secured has not been publicly confirmed, and it would be inappropriate to speculate about his individual case. Russian citizens currently face a more restrictive process for entering the Netherlands and generally require a Schengen visa. Dutch government guidance limits the categories under which applications can be made from Russia, while broader European rules have also tightened visa access for Russian citizens.
Netherlands Wins the Nations Cup Relay
The Netherlands won the Nations Cup Relay, an unofficial team event featuring three competitors representing each country.
Poland entered as one of the favorites but was eliminated in the semifinals after Teodor Zajder recorded a DNF. In a relay format, the failed solve left Poland unable to recover and opened the door for the Netherlands to reach the final.
The Netherlands faced Germany for the title and won by less than a second, 21.18 to 21.75.
The decisive moment came from Twan Dullamond, who used ZBLL to close the relay and secure the Dutch victory. Dullamond immediately leapt over his chair in celebration as the home crowd erupted.
Viewers quickly began calling the moment “Dutch Luke Garrett,” referencing Garrett’s viral reaction after his One-Handed world record average, when his celebration sent him slipping over his chair.
It gave the opening day a fitting finish. The individual events produced elite consistency and record pressure, but the loudest moment belonged to the host nation and a relay decided by a clutch final solve.
With Kolasiński already within hundredths of two major benchmarks and Archer matching his continental record, Euros began at the pace expected from one of the deepest championships of the year.