Cubing Mada Open 2025

Two minutes and 54.86 seconds of sustained, multi-layered problem solving sealed the 7x7x7 Cube title for Tolotsoa Joanah Lalarijaona as big-cube mastery took center stage in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The demanding puzzles at the top end of the roster tested finger endurance and lookahead across August 23 and August 24, 2025. Held at Skate Park Antanimena, Cubing Mada Open 2025 brought together 46 competitors across 10 events and 20 rounds of high-intensity speedcubing. The heavy-layer events demanded immense physical stamina, setting an exacting standard for the entire tournament weekend.

Lalarijaona established total authority across the upper dimensions, pairing the 7x7x7 crown with a dominant victory in the 6x6x6 Cube. In that final, Lalarijaona posted a winning average of 1:53.67, featuring a single solve of 1:50.63 to lead the five-person field. Rodrigue Hermanne Rafanambinantsoa took second place with a 2:02.17 average, while Nahimo Hermann Fanirison earned third on 2:20.33. Lalarijaona also claimed the 4x4x4 Cube championship with an average of 31.44, edging out Rafanambinantsoa at 32.46 and Ismaël Mamy Randriamalanto at 35.85 over three rounds of competition.

Rafanambinantsoa found his own decisive answer on the 5x5x5 Cube, breaking the minute mark to win with a 58.44 average and a best single of 56.67. Lalarijaona pushed the duel right to the wire with a second-place average of 59.26, while Fanirison took third in 1:11.18. Rafanambinantsoa extended his versatility across non-standard hardware by capturing the Megaminx title in an average of 1:04.53, finishing ahead of Randy Mandimbisoa at 1:05.97 and Naly Rakotondrambahy at 1:11.25. The big-puzzle battles proved to be the ultimate test of patience throughout the schedule.

The traditional classic Rubik's Cube brought 42 competitors through three rounds of standard speed cubing, culminating in a fast-paced final. Tolotra Ny Avo Andriamamonjisoa secured the main 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 9.57 and a tournament-best single of 8.51. Rafanambinantsoa grabbed second place with a 10.12 average, and Lalarijaona took third with 10.44. These 3x3 results capped a fierce multi-round progression on the central stage of the WCA competition, highlighting sharp execution against a deep home contingent.

Away from the main podium battles, several competitors marked notable personal progress across the weekend. Kanto Michel Ange Andriambolatiana registered an 81.2 percent improvement on the 2x2x2 Cube with a new personal best of 1.56, while also taking on three events. Tiavina Andriatolojanahary Misandratrarivo dropped their 2x2x2 personal best by 65.2 percent to 1.30 and achieved a 13th place finish. Fitiavana Sylvestre Rabevohitra completed their first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:49.61 and set a 2x2x2 personal best of 1.55, which was 55.5 percent faster than their prior mark. Ny Antsa tackled six events, logging a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 in 2:37.53 and cutting their 4x4x4 best by 51.5 percent to 1:10.18.

That forward momentum extended across multiple debuts and demanding event lists at Cubing Mada Open 2025. Taher Akbaraly competed across seven events, securing an 11th place finish in Megaminx while recording a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 in 3:08.20 and improving their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 44.3 percent to 42.06. Francky Maheritiana Ratsimbazafy placed 8th in Pyraminx after a first ever attempt of 8.35, alongside a 32.3 percent personal best drop on 4x4x4 to 46.27. Tokinirina Rakotondrambola achieved a 4th place finish in 6x6x6 with a first attempt of 2:56.60, and Mahatoky Ramanahadray entered five events, logging a first attempt in Pyraminx of 6.95 and finishing 7th.

In the alternate three-layer disciplines, Rafanambinantsoa collected yet another gold medal by winning 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 15.15 and a single of 11.60. Kantosoa Volaniaina Nomenatiana finished as runner-up on 15.98, followed by Ismaël Mamy Randriamalanto in third at 16.58. The 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline demanded pure memorisation and flawless execution without visual cues, where Akash Rupela earned first place with an average of 2:04.82 and a single of 1:22.98 in a field of three solvers.

The short-format puzzles concluded with rapid finishes on the final day. Manoa Ramanahadray took the 2x2x2 Cube title in an average of 1.96, besting Randy Mandimbisoa at 2.32 and Tolotra Ny Avo Andriamamonjisoa at 3.03. In Pyraminx, Tokiniaina Mickaël Razafimanantena took first place with a 5.38 average, followed by Ramanahadray in second at 7.00 and Hery Natolotra Randriambolamanana in third at 7.03 across two rounds of play.

Across the two days of competition at Cubing Mada Open 2025, competitors from Madagascar secured 28 podium finishes, alongside 2 for India. The gathering underlined the growing depth of the regional scene across both sprint and marathon formats. From heavy multi-layer puzzles to sub-two-second sprint rounds, the cubing competition closed its 2025 edition having tested every facet of solver endurance and dexterity in Antananarivo.