Arizona Championship 2026

A total of 109 competitors gathered for a packed weekend of speedcubing across 13 events and 25 rounds at Corona del Sol High School. The Arizona Championship 2026 brought solvers together in Tempe, Arizona, USA, over January 17 and 18, filling the venue with intense focus and shared camaraderie. Between rounds, participants connected over shared solving methods, explored side puzzles, and watched friends tackle everything from miniature twisty puzzles to massive multi-layered challenges. The atmosphere highlighted how much a modern cubing competition thrives on the energy shared between participants of all skill levels.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 103 competitors through three intense rounds of standard Rubik's Cube solving. Jeremy Bulambot captured first place in the final with a winning average of 6.43 seconds, complemented by a single solve of 5.94. Fans following the official 3x3 results witnessed sharp execution across all rounds, setting a high standard for the entire tournament. Bulambot also took the title in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording an average of 12.13 seconds with a best single solve of 10.85 among a field of 58 solvers across two rounds.

Big cube mastery belonged to Dan Tran, who swept all three of the largest events on the schedule. Tran won the 5x5x5 Cube final with an average of 53.58 seconds and a best single of 50.46, finishing ahead of Ron G. Arama at 55.60 and Jeremy Bulambot at 59.60. Tran followed that success by securing first in the 6x6x6 Cube with a mark of 1:44.98, leading Hana Nakano at 1:53.43 and Shane Grogan at 1:54.46. Tran closed his sweep in the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 2:32.58, outpacing Nakano at 2:39.90 and Matthew Tan at 2:51.81.

Short-format puzzles delivered rapid drama throughout the weekend. Ron G. Arama took the 2x2x2 Cube title with an average of 1.57 seconds, edging out Alan Rivera Bañaga at 1.95 and Quintin Audisho at 2.06. Arama added a second title in Square-1, winning with a 10.90 average ahead of Alessandro Diomampo at 12.39 and Aayush Shah at 15.40. Diomampo earned gold in Clock with an average of 2.74 seconds and Megaminx with an average of 40.00. Shane Grogan claimed the 4x4x4 Cube with a 30.20 average, Sid Shivnath took Skewb at 3.32, and Aayush Shah won Pyraminx averaging 2.24.

The Arizona Championship 2026 provided the backdrop for meaningful personal milestones across the community, where many competitors expanded their horizons into unfamiliar events. Aiden Truong entered seven events and achieved an outstanding improvement in Skewb, setting a personal best single of 3.85 seconds that was 46.6 percent faster than his previous best of 7.21, alongside making his first ever attempts at Clock with a 10.86 and 4x4x4 Cube with a 53.08. Liam Wirth took on nine events, logging his first ever attempts at Megaminx in 3:09.15, Pyraminx in 12.97, and 5x5x5 Cube in 2:22.16. Benjamin Henning entered eight events and completed his first ever attempts at 6x6x6 Cube with 2:23.21, 7x7x7 Cube in 4:04.15, and Megaminx in 1:37.79.

Other dedicated solvers embraced the challenge of brand-new categories across the two-day schedule. Graham Steven Berryman tackled 12 events, recording his first ever attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.91, Square-1 at 59.08, and 6x6x6 Cube at 5:56.27. Phoebe Dye took on 10 events, making her first ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 48.70, Clock at 14.94, and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:07.12. Gareth Hunter competed in seven events, logging his first ever attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 2:06.02, Skewb at 18.72, and Clock at 28.67. Aiden Dinkins reached 11th place in Clock while posting his first ever attempts in Clock at 8.30, Skewb at 10.02, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 38.86. Jace Hodge entered five events and recorded his first ever attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 4.02, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:01.17, and 6x6x6 Cube at 5:11.87.

Solving without visual inspection provided some of the most focused moments of the weekend. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition, which requires pure memorisation before donning a blindfold, Azael Toysehua from Mexico secured victory with a single solve of 31.24 seconds. Quintin Audisho of the United States finished as runner-up with a mark of 48.77 seconds, while Nathan Agan rounded out the podium with a time of 1:17.80. The 21 competitors in the event demonstrated the mental discipline required to reconstruct the cube entirely from memory under competition pressure.

The Arizona Championship 2026 concluded with 34 podium placements for competitors representing the United States, three for India, and two for Mexico. From the intense excitement of the main rounds to the quiet dedication in side events, this WCA competition celebrated the true spirit of speed cubing. Solvers departed Tempe having shared techniques, renewed friendships, and established new benchmark marks across all 13 disciplines for the 2026 season.