Cube in Luanda 2026

Twenty-six competitors assembled at Colégio Gregório Semedo on April 11, 2026, creating an intensely contested lineup in Luanda, Angola. Cube in Luanda 2026 brought together solvers for six total rounds of action, demanding exceptional consistency across four distinct puzzles. With every competitor aiming to advance, navigating the preliminary stages required absolute precision. The single-day speedcubing gathering highlighted the growing talent across the region, where securing a spot in any final round proved to be an arduous task amidst an increasingly capable and motivated field.

The main event, the classic Rubik's Cube, tested the endurance and nerves of the entire 26-person roster across two stages. Making the cut out of the opening round required avoiding any critical errors, as the field pushed each other toward sharper marks. When the 3x3 results were finalized, Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos stood at the top of the podium with a winning average of 10.06 seconds. Issassa dos Santos also registered the fastest single of the discipline at 8.93 seconds, successfully fending off José Francisco Manuel, who finished second with an 11.10 average, and Kevin Rafael da Silva Sirgado, who took third with 11.17.

The 2x2x2 Cube division featured a dense field of 20 entrants, making it one of the most fiercely contested brackets of the competition. Carlos Junior de Carvalho Correia captured first place with a 4.66 average, just edging Kevin Rafael da Silva Sirgado, who posted a runner-up mark of 4.74. Ariclenes Ebenézer Dias Manuel earned third place with a 4.92 average. The battle for the title was remarkably tight, driven by rapid single times, including Carlos Junior de Carvalho Correia setting the event standard at 3.93 seconds during his path to victory.

In the alternative disciplines, the competition expanded to test geometric mastery and different solving methods. The Skewb tournament saw eight competitors vie for the title over a single decisive round. Ariclenes Ebenézer Dias Manuel earned top honors by recording an 11.20 average and the event best single of 8.53 seconds. Carlos Junior de Carvalho Correia secured second place with an 18.86 average, while Mikael Akili Cipriano da Silva claimed the third step on the podium with a 21.66 average.

Long-form puzzle solving took center stage in the Megaminx event, where seven competitors tackled the twelve-sided challenge. Roger Nataniel Issassa dos Santos delivered another commanding performance at Cube in Luanda 2026, taking his second title of the weekend with a winning average of 1:10.47 and a best single of 1:04.10. Mikael Akili Cipriano da Silva completed the round in second position with an average of 1:40.88, followed by Belarmino Eusébio Chalale in third with 1:50.74, completing a full Angolan sweep of the podium spots across all events.

Beyond the trophy presentations, the weekend delivered substantial personal milestones across the full roster of participants. Reynold Filipe Moniz Buila showed massive progress by lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 11.59 seconds, an improvement of 54.4 percent, while also logging a 15.5 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube with a 27.61 mark and taking on his first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 4:24.22. Jemima Pedro had a remarkably productive day, trimming her 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 43.5 percent down to 23.26 seconds, recording a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 8.63 seconds, and finishing fifth in Skewb with an initial mark of 19.66 seconds.

Several other competitors made significant leaps across multiple categories during the cubing competition. Geovanni William Ribeiro improved his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 27 percent to 3.65 seconds, taking seventh place, while logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 27.45 seconds. Adriano Bussa lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best by 30.5 percent to 6.51 seconds across two events. John Inácio registered a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 4.79 seconds to finish ninth, alongside a 13.7 percent improvement on his 3x3x3 Cube best to 19.93. Mikaela Alika Cipriano da Silva took on four events, logging an initial Megaminx time of 3:02.00 to finish fifth and a first Skewb attempt of 21.78. Vivaldo Cristóvão Roque improved his Megaminx mark by 8.8 percent to 3:47.63, while Timóteo Alberto Francisco recorded a first Skewb attempt of 19.46 seconds across three events.

Cube in Luanda 2026 also welcomed fresh faces into the regional speed cubing scene, with several athletes making their first official appearance. Aldemiro Soares entered two events, recording a 9.75 in 2x2x2 Cube and 22.52 in 3x3x3 Cube. Josué Macaia also made his initial mark by placing 12th in 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.04 single, while Virgilio Carvalho completed his opening attempts in both 2x2x2 Cube and 3x3x3 Cube. Akila Margarida Moniz Buila and Marques Bernardo Ngangula each took on their inaugural solves in the main event.

The single-day gathering concluded with all 12 podium positions earned by domestic competitors, demonstrating the healthy development of local talent. Cube in Luanda 2026 showcased how deep fields and multi-round formats elevate performance across every tier of solving. As the official WCA competition schedule heads into the remainder of the 2026 calendar, the collective standard set in Luanda demonstrates that contending for podiums and navigating competitive rounds requires more sharp preparation and focus than ever before.