Max Park Wins 4x4 at NAC 2026
Park claimed the 4x4 title with a 21.00 average, closing with a 21.18 to secure the win.
Max Park won 4x4 at the 2026 North American Championship, taking the title with a 21.00 average.
Park recorded attempts of (18.98), 20.69, (22.36), 21.13, and 21.18 in the final, claiming his eighth consecutive North American Championship title in the event. The victory further adds to Park’s legendary résumé, which now includes 17 career 4×4 world records, the most by any competitor in the event’s history.
Park was pushed by an impressive field throughout the competition, with Neo Cuares finishing second overall and Matty Hiroto Inaba taking third. Because Cuares represents the Philippines, he was ineligible for the North American Championship podium. As a result, Arhaan Sareen moved up to claim the bronze medal among North American competitors.
Final Podium
🥇 Max Park (United States) - 21.00
🥈 Neo Cuares (Philippines) - 23.51
🥉 Matty Hiroto Inaba (United States) - 23.82
North American Championship Podium
🥇 Max Park (United States) - 21.00
🥈 Matty Hiroto Inaba (United States) - 23.82
🥉 Arhaan Sareen (Canada) - 24.34
Coming into the championship, Ari Randers-Pehrson entered as the second seed. Randers is well known for using OLL parity avoidance, an advanced strategy that can eliminate parity during the final stages of a 4×4 solve. When executed successfully, the technique can provide a significant advantage over competitors who must perform a parity algorithm.
Following the competition, Cuares said he began dedicating himself to 4×4 after watching Sebastian Weyer win the World Championship. Inspired by Weyer’s performance, he focused on learning the specialized algorithms used by the world’s top 4×4 solvers, a commitment that helped him earn his runner-up finish.
Inaba credited his success to one particular part of his solves, saying that the 3×3 stage always saves him in 4×4. He added that he was happy to finish on the podium at the North American Championship.