Albania Open 2026

8.92 seconds was all Thomas Mako needed to claim the spotlight in Tirana, Albania, capturing the premier 3x3x3 Cube title on October 10, 2026. Held at Universiteti Barleti, the one-day WCA competition brought together emerging talents and seasoned continental challengers across seven distinct events. The sharp winning mark set the tone for an intense day of Rubik's Cube action, where young competitors consistently outpaced their past marks across every bracket.

The 3x3 results delivered one of the closest podium finishes of the year 2026, decided by mere fractions of a second. Mako secured the top spot for Albania with his 8.92 mark, edging out Hungary's Gergely Novotni, who posted a runner-up time of 9.10 seconds. Levente Radovics, also representing Hungary, took third place right behind them at 9.11 seconds, illustrating the rapid standard of contemporary speedcubing at the highest levels.

Beyond the flagship puzzle, Gergely Novotni assembled an extraordinary multi-event performance across the tournament floor. Novotni secured victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning result of 27.08 seconds, ahead of Poland's Wojciech Szatanowski at 36.36 and Italy's Tommaso Raposio at 37.52. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Novotni led the field again, taking first place with a time of 50.68 seconds, while Szatanowski placed second in 1:09.39 and Italy's Vincenzo Maria Gammino claimed third in 1:16.78.

Novotni added a third victory in Skewb, putting up a winning time of 4.17 seconds to beat Maksymilian Gala of Poland at 4.72 and Radovics at 5.11. Hungary ultimately topped the country medal count with eight podium finishes, while Poland secured six. Speed cubing fans also saw Romanian competitor Stefania Gabriela Mihalache top the 2x2x2 Cube podium with an electric 2.56 mark, besting Novotni's 3.05 and Mako's 3.36.

Away from the top steps of the podium, Albania Open 2026 served as a springboard for rising solvers demonstrating massive personal growth. Auxhest Keci delivered one of the steepest single-event time drops of the tournament, recording a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 33.29 seconds, which was 62.4 percent faster than their previous mark. Erida Troqe tackled two events, achieving a best finish of 32nd in Pyraminx with a first attempt of 25.01 while trimming their 3x3x3 Cube best by 38.2 percent down to 48.19 seconds. Samuel Dumi took on four events, logging a first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 5.87 seconds and improving their Skewb best to 10.49 seconds, 22.9 percent faster than before. Aviel Pellumbi contested five events, securing a career-best 5th place in Pyraminx and dropping their 4x4x4 Cube best by 23.2 percent to 49.07 seconds.

The breakthroughs continued across the roster as newcomers stepped up to official tables for the first time. Kevin Dhima entered six events in their first WCA competition, recording a best finish of 18th in Skewb alongside debut attempts of 2:11.00 on 4x4x4 Cube and 11.13 on 3x3x3 Cube. Erdi Zeneli also made their tournament debut across three events, posting an initial Pyraminx mark of 11.10 seconds for 31st place. Giuseppe Simone improved their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 33.3 percent to 19.50 seconds and lowered their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 26.9 percent to 5.73 seconds. Meanwhile, Carmela Gravano took on five events and achieved a 7th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, cutting their personal best by 28.3 percent down to 4:02.31.

Short-format specialist Kacper Paweł Dworak of Poland claimed the Pyraminx crown with a winning time of 4.70 seconds. Dworak finished ahead of Novotni, who recorded 5.09 seconds for second, and Mihalache, who took third in 5.75 seconds. The diverse lineup of disciplines tested competitors across mechanical dexterity and deep puzzle knowledge, ensuring every rotation counted across the crowded tables in Tirana.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest added technical drama to the schedule, requiring complete memorisation without visual cues during execution. Konstantin Jaehne of Germany captured first place with an impressive single solve of 41.97 seconds. Dworak earned second place in 54.16 seconds, and Szatanowski took third in 1:31.22. Thomas Mako delivered a major milestone for the host nation, setting an Albanian national record single of 1:41.88.

With seven events completed, Albania Open 2026 highlighted both elite international contenders and a vibrant generation of advancing talent. Solvers left Tirana having posted major milestones, new personal records, and foundational tournament experience. As the cubing competition circuit moves forward into future stops, the rapid progression witnessed at Universiteti Barleti signals a promising outlook for the regional scene.