Cubestuff Centurion Q1 2026

Juandre Jacobs delivered the defining performance of the weekend in Centurion, South Africa, claiming the premier 3x3x3 Cube title with an exceptional winning average of 7.72 seconds. Across three intense rounds that featured 71 competitors, Jacobs also laid down the single fastest solve of the tournament at 5.28 seconds. The showcase event at the Legacy Centurion Hotel anchored two days of high-level speedcubing from January 31 to February 1, setting a rapid pace for the 2026 calendar.

A total of 74 competitors gathered for Cubestuff Centurion Q1 2026, taking on 8 events spanning 16 rounds of official play. The schedule offered a thorough test across varied disciplines, moving from standard Rubik's Cube formats to larger layers, one-handed execution, and blindfolded problem-solving. South African solvers swept all 24 podium positions across the eight events, highlighting the depth of talent currently active in the national scene.

The 2x2x2 Cube event stood out as the central statistical highlight of Cubestuff Centurion Q1 2026. A wave of registered record marks swept through the brackets, led by Ruben Grobler and Shivaan Harichander. Harichander registered a 2.71 single alongside a 2.96 average, while Grobler produced a 1.71 single and a 2.98 average. Jacobs posted marks of 2.49 and 3.32, with Nathan Swanepoel charting 2.78 and 3.36, and Amahle Nyembe contributing a 2.68 single and a 3.51 average.

The record cascade continued throughout the 54-player 2x2x2 field. Vincent Hazelton-Lagarrigue recorded a 3.37 single and a 3.58 average, while Luan van der Walt logged marks of 2.63 and 4.24. Osman Badroodin notched a 3.87 single and a 4.59 average, Mateo Zarko Cvetkovic locked in 3.06 and 4.76, and Michiel Bernard de Kock posted a 3.80 single and a 4.80 average. When the final round concluded, Grobler claimed the event victory with a decisive 2.26 average, followed by Harichander at 2.63 and Nyembe at 3.48.

Beyond the title fights and record tables, this cubing competition featured standout breakthroughs from emerging solvers. Clay Caleb Malgas showed tremendous progress in the 2x2x2 Cube, delivering a personal best of 7.48 seconds to improve on his previous mark by 71.2 percent, alongside a 28.05 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Jayden Anderson shaved 66.3 percent off his previous benchmark in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a personal best of 26.65 seconds, while also making his first career attempt in Pyraminx at 19.61. Ryno Marais cut his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 56.2 percent to 1:47.83 and posted a 20.91 personal best in 3x3x3 One-Handed for a sixth-place finish. Katlego Sibeko made first attempts at One-Handed with 1:52.16 and Pyraminx with 10.16, while improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 28.3 percent to 44.63.

The personal milestones kept coming across the lineup at this WCA competition. Simon van Wyngaard logged his first attempt in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.11 seconds, taking 26th place, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 34.8 percent to 22.26. Malan Jansen van Vuuren entered four events, posting his first One-Handed attempt of 1:02.42 and improving his 2x2x2 mark by 28.6 percent to 5.58. Kéan Botha tackled six disciplines, taking fifth in the 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 3:19.77 and making his first attempt in 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 6:53.28. Craig Peeters stepped up in four events, delivering his first One-Handed solve of 1:37.18 and a 21.8 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube at 17.85.

Versatility remained on display throughout the weekend's specialty categories. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, Joshua Christian Marais took top honours with an average of 12.46 seconds and a best single of 10.15, ahead of Grobler at 14.59 and Badroodin at 15.45. Osman Badroodin found victory in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a winning average of 1:58.58 and a single of 1:49.30. In the Megaminx division, Vincent Hazelton-Lagarrigue captured first place with an average of 46.21 seconds, while Rhynard Steyn led the Pyraminx field with a winning 4.56 average.

Grobler added another triumph to his extensive schedule by capturing the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 1:01.18, edging out Badroodin at 1:03.16. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where pure memorisation meets unassisted execution, Marike Faught earned the top spot on the podium with a winning single solve of 36.12 seconds, finishing ahead of Yusuf Talha Sayed Karim at 44.77. Grobler placed third in the blindfolded event with a time of 1:13.58.

The final 3x3 results brought a resounding finish to the action at the Legacy Centurion Hotel. Behind Jacobs' winning 7.72 average, Harichander secured the runner-up position with an 8.57, while Grobler wrapped up a remarkably busy weekend by finishing third with a 9.13 average. With dozens of benchmark times revised and new milestones reached, Cubestuff Centurion Q1 2026 proved to be an exceptional showcase of speed cubing excellence in Centurion.