Canberra Spring Open 2026

Chris Mills set the pace at Campbell Primary School by storming to victory in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning mark of 6.63 seconds. The New Zealand competitor delivered a masterclass across multiple disciplines, but the smooth execution of the tournament was made possible by the dedicated team of organizers, delegates, and community volunteers who coordinated every station. Staged in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, on September 19, 2026, the single-day gathering provided an efficient, energetic environment for solvers of all experience levels to test their skills against the clock.

Hosting a sanctioned WCA competition requires meticulous administration, from running scramble tables to coordinating judging roles across consecutive flights. The Canberra Spring Open 2026 ran seamlessly across four core events, offering a focused schedule that kept the competition floor active throughout the day. Volunteers kept groups moving between inspection, solving, and score verification, ensuring that the official results were accurately recorded while competitors enjoyed an organized, welcoming atmosphere in the nation capital.

The 3x3 results at the top of the table featured an intense duel among seasoned competitors. Mills claimed the premier title with his 6.63 result, finishing ahead of Australia James Kirschner, who secured second place with a mark of 7.90 seconds. Jayden McNeill rounded out the podium with a 7.96 performance, cementing a closely contested battle where sub-eight-second times were required to earn hardware in the classic Rubik's Cube category.

Mills extended his golden run beyond the main event, capturing two additional titles during the weekend. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he locked in first place with a time of 2.11 seconds, holding off Kirschner at 2.52 and McNeill at 2.86. The New Zealand standout also topped the 4x4x4 Cube standings with a winning time of 28.52 seconds. In that contest, Australia Joshua Liang claimed second place at 33.10, with McNeill taking third in 33.73 seconds.

The lone event win for the host nation came in Pyraminx, where Australia Liam Sawade posted a blistering 2.12 seconds to earn the top spot on the podium. Kirschner took second place with a time of 3.28 seconds, edging Mills, who placed third in 3.33 seconds. Across all four disciplines, Australian competitors gathered eight podium positions while New Zealand secured four, showcasing the high standard of speed cubing talent present in the region.

Beyond the championship medals, the tournament floor was defined by massive personal milestones and courageous first attempts. Spencer Parry took on four events, setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.38 seconds, which was 63.5 percent faster than their previous mark of 9.25, while also recording a first ever attempt in Pyraminx at 8.31 seconds and a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 3:20.87. Jacob Bartusch-Rice entered four events, posting an initial 4x4x4 Cube time of 1:31.32, a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 3.59 seconds, and an improved 3x3x3 Cube mark of 11.57 seconds, cutting 41.3 percent off their previous best of 19.71. Yohaan Shaikh registered a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 57.86 seconds and reduced their 3x3x3 Cube best by 35.6 percent to 11.20 seconds, while Jaidyn Johnston took on four events, logging a 4x4x4 Cube debut of 1:04.70 and dropping their Pyraminx mark by 28.2 percent to 8.12 seconds.

The progress continued across the scorecards as Jed Toohey earned an 11th-place finish in Pyraminx with a personal best of 4.86 seconds, while also trimming their 4x4x4 Cube best by 45.7 percent to 48.08 seconds and setting a 3x3x3 Cube mark of 11.85 seconds. Noah Sippel logged a first Pyraminx attempt of 4.73 seconds and improved their 3x3x3 Cube time by 24 percent to 12.71 seconds. Sasha Blackman tackled four events, producing a best finish of 12th in the 2x2x2 Cube alongside a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 43.73 seconds, while Luke Woodhouse recorded an initial Pyraminx attempt of 10.19 seconds and advanced their 2x2x2 Cube best to 4.73 seconds, a 20.6 percent improvement.

The Canberra Spring Open 2026 demonstrated the depth and enthusiasm driving speedcubing across Australia in 2026. Thanks to the steady hands of the local organization team and the commitment of every judge and runner, the day concluded as a thorough success. Solvers departed Campbell Primary School with new personal records in hand, having shared a memorable cubing competition that set a high benchmark for the upcoming competitive calendar.