The Weekend Preview: July 17-19, 2026
Highlighting competitions from around the world of speedcubing.
Europe’s biggest championship brings a Polish-heavy 3x3 field, Japan crowns its first national champions since 2019, and Nanchang gathers another world-class Chinese lineup.
Welcome back to the Speedcuber’s Digest Weekend Preview, where we look ahead at the potential storylines going into the weekend.
Rubik’s WCA European Championship 2026
Rubik’s WCA European Championship 2026 takes place July 16-19 in Arnhem, Netherlands, at Sportcentrum Valkenhuizen. With nearly 1,200 registered competitors, it is the clear centerpiece of the weekend.
The biggest 3x3 storyline is Poland’s control of the top of the psych sheet.
Teodor Zajder enters as the top-ranked competitor with a 4.41 average, followed by Tymon Kolasiński at 4.49. Olaf Kuźmiński ranks fourth at 4.95, while Radosław Marcinek is sixth at 5.24.
That gives Poland four of the top six seeds despite accounting for only a small share of Europe’s population. The depth makes Poland the clear country to beat, but it does not guarantee that one competitor will separate from the rest once the championship pressure begins.
Kolasiński enters after one of his strongest recent competitions, where he recorded a 4.49 personal-best 3x3 average and reclaimed both European records in 7x7. Zajder remains the highest-ranked European by average, giving Poland two legitimate favorites at the very top.
Several leading Americans add another layer to the competition. Luke Garrett enters third on the psych sheet with a 4.88 average, while Dylan Miller and Caleb Chen are also ranked inside the top eight.
They cannot become European champions, but they can win the competition overall. The championship format guarantees final spots to the top 14 European competitors, while faster non-European competitors will also advance, creating separate races for the overall win and the continental title.
The championship should also create storylines away from the solving stations. A popular campsite is expected to bring together competitors and creators throughout the weekend. Millisecond hosts Dylan Miller and Chris Mills plan to stay there and may film an episode of the show during the championship.
With Poland controlling much of the ranking sheet, top Americans entering the overall race, and nearly the full European elite in one building, Arnhem should produce the weekend’s deepest championship storylines.
Japan Championship 2026
Japan Championship 2026 takes place July 18-19 in Daito, Osaka, at Daito Citizens Hall. The event marks the return of Japan’s national championship for the first time since 2019.
Matty Hiroto Inaba enters as the clear top seed in 3x3 with a 4.72 average. Inaba also won 3x3 at the last Japan Championship in 2019, recording a 7.80 average while also winning 4x4 and 5x5.
This time, however, Inaba represents the United States. He can win the competition overall, but he cannot become Japanese national champion.
That creates two separate races at the top.
Kantaro Sakamoto and Ao Nogami lead the eligible Japanese field with matching 6.38 averages. Natsuki Rokutan follows at 6.66, with Shu Ogawa, Junnosuke Takahashi, and Masaki Nishimura also entering below seven seconds.
Inaba’s presence gives the field an international favorite, but the national title could be decided several positions behind the overall winner.
The competition will also apply a nationality quota in final rounds, guaranteeing that at least half of the finalists represent Japan. That should prevent international competitors from crowding eligible Japanese contenders out of the championship race.
After a seven-year absence, Japan Championship is more than another national event. It is the first opportunity for a new generation of Japanese competitors to claim full national titles since 2019.
Nanchang Summer 2026
Nanchang Summer 2026 takes place July 18 in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, at the Echarm Hotel. The one-day competition has a 180-competitor limit.
The 3x3 field is one of the deepest assembled anywhere this weekend.
Xuanyi Geng enters with a 3.71 average, followed by Zhaokun Li at 4.34, Yufang Du at 4.36, and Bofan Zhang at 4.38. Yi Shen, Qixian Cao, Yize Dong, and Ruihang Xu give the competition eight competitors with averages under 4.80.
The result is a field where even reaching the final may require a world-class performance.
Geng remains the central name to watch. His 3.71 was previously the 3x3 average world record, and nearly every appearance gives him another realistic opportunity to challenge the current benchmark.
The depth behind him may be just as important. Li, Du, and Zhang all enter within 0.04 seconds of one another, while Shen, Cao, and Dong are capable of moving significantly within the global rankings with one strong round.
With so many competitors already clustered near the top of the world, Nanchang has a genuine chance to reshape the top 100 and produce another unusually fast Chinese final.
Between the scale of Euros, the long-awaited return of Japan Championship, and another record-ready Chinese 3x3 field, this weekend brings three very different versions of elite speedcubing.