Cubestuff Grand Challenge - The Leonardo 2026

Daniel Rush set the standard in Sandton, South Africa, capturing four event titles and an African record in the 4x4x4 Cube on home soil. His final average of 23.69 seconds delivered a continental benchmark and capped a stellar campaign across the weekend of June 20 to June 21. The Leonardo Sandton served as the backdrop for this landmark WCA competition, which drew 74 competitors tackling 17 rounds across 9 distinct events.

The 2026 meeting proved to be a tour de force for local talent, with South African competitors securing all 27 available podium places across the weekend. Beyond the regional supremacy, international highlights emerged on the scorecards as well. Danny Kahumba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo established national record single marks in both the 2x2x2 Cube at 34.08 seconds and the classic 3x3x3 Cube at 1:15.50, alongside a national record average of 48.95 seconds in the 2x2x2 Cube.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, Rush maintained his composure through three intense rounds involving 73 contenders. He secured the title with a winning average of 7.86 seconds and posted the fastest single time of the event at 6.85 seconds. Ruben Grobler pushed the pace to claim the runner-up spot with an 8.54 average, while Amahle Nyembe rounded out the top tier with an 8.68 mark to complete the 3x3 results podium in style.

Rush extended his dominance across the bigger puzzles, leaving little room for error. In the 5x5x5 Cube, his winning average of 42.88 seconds placed him well ahead of Isaac Scheepers, who took second in 1:03.33, and Osman Badroodin in third at 1:05.43. Rush added another gold in the 6x6x6 Cube with an average of 1:21.47, besting Badroodin and Grobler. His versatility in speedcubing was further proven by a silver medal in Pyraminx with a 5.23 average and a bronze finish in Megaminx at 46.11.

Beyond the headline triumphs, several competitors made significant personal strides across their schedules. Dian Koekemoer slashed his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 19.95 seconds, a 65.1 percent improvement over his prior mark of 57.24, while also knocking down his 2x2x2 Cube time to 6.05 seconds. Juwan van der Walt accelerated his Pyraminx personal best by 35.9 percent to 9.63 seconds. Nuha Rizan dropped his Rubik's Cube best by 25.6 percent to 18.73 seconds and logged his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 3:27.74. Bruce Engelbrecht took on six disciplines, delivering a 2:29.07 personal best in the 5x5x5 Cube that shaved 35.6 percent off his previous time.

First-time official attempts highlighted the dedication of the field throughout the venue. Wayne Claassen entered seven events, logging his first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 4:12.46 alongside a 10th-place finish in 7x7x7 Cube. James Ford took on eight events and registered his first 7x7x7 Cube result with a time of 6:19.62, finishing 4th overall in Pyraminx. Thomas Floor completed his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 2:55.62 to place 6th, while newcomer Noah Bisetty contested his first speed cubing event in four categories, posting a 32.98 in the 3x3x3 Cube.

The hardware in the side events was spread among several accomplished specialists. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Osman Badroodin captured first place with an impressive average of 2:58.10, holding off Ruben Grobler and Heinrich de Lange. De Lange found his own gold in Megaminx, taking victory with an average of 44.37 seconds in a close duel against Vincent Hazelton-Lagarrigue, who finished just behind at 45.05 seconds.

The shorter formats and specialty disciplines brought further excitement to the schedule. Lethabo Moeti claimed the Pyraminx crown with a 3.27 winning average, while Grobler secured the 2x2x2 Cube title in 2.54 seconds. Solving without sight demands complete memorisation and tactile precision, and Marike Faught mastered the discipline by winning the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category with a 49.05 average. With regional records and sweeping podium runs, Cubestuff Grand Challenge - The Leonardo 2026 served as a showcase for competitive excellence across every puzzle format.