Cubing Tibas 2026

The competition floor at UH Universidad Hispanoamericana was humming with focused energy as 40 competitors gathered for a full schedule of puzzle solving. Timers flashed under bright room lights while judges tracked every turn across nine rounds of intense action. The single-day tournament brought together a dedicated field ready to contest eight separate events, creating an electric atmosphere in San José, Tibas, Costa Rica. From early inspection to decisive final solves, every station saw nonstop activity.

Veteran contenders immediately took command of the tables on May 23, 2026. David Calderón Arce reaffirmed his status across multiple disciplines throughout Cubing Tibas 2026, delivering sharp solutions when the pressure mounted. His run in the traditional 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube proved decisive across two hard-fought rounds, capturing the title with an average of 9.08 seconds after logging a best single of 8.58. Carlos Andres Gonzaga took second place with a 9.20 average, while Jordan Obando Chacón secured third on the podium with 9.40.

Calderón Arce continued to display seasoned form across alternative puzzles during the cubing competition. In Megaminx, he paced the field of 14 competitors with a winning average of 41.03 seconds and a sharp single of 39.39, finishing well clear of runner-up Carlos Andres Gonzaga at 57.34 and Gabriel Cerdas Zúñiga at 1:02.72. Calderón Arce added another gold in Skewb, where his 4.69 winning average edged Christian Rodríguez at 5.87 and Daniel Sibaja Salazar at 6.14. He rounded out a busy day by collecting third place in both 4x4x4 Cube and 2x2x2 Cube.

Another familiar powerhouse, Kyle McDonald Trejos, demonstrated complete control in the faster and larger puzzles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, McDonald Trejos posted a winning average of 31.47 seconds with a rapid 26.98 single, leading Sebastián Herrera Pomares at 33.50 and Calderón Arce at 34.08. McDonald Trejos matched that supremacy in the 2x2x2 Cube, taking victory among 36 competitors with a 3.35 average ahead of Christian Rodríguez at 3.95 and Calderón Arce at 3.97, while also capturing third place in Square-1 and 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The standout individual performance of this WCA competition belonged to Christian Rodríguez, who rewrote national standards in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Navigating a field of 22 contenders, Rodríguez posted a Costa Rican national record single of 10.17 seconds alongside a national record average of 13.11 to take first place. Carlos Andres Gonzaga secured second with 14.56, while Kyle McDonald Trejos finished third with 17.17. The remaining events saw Jose Daniel Solano Rodríguez triumph in Square-1 with a 15.83 average, while Fabricio Guerrero Villalobos won Pyraminx averaging 3.42.

Away from the top of the podium, personal milestones defined the heart of the tournament. Rubén Jesús Elizondo Chinchilla tackled six separate events at Cubing Tibas 2026, dropping his Skewb personal best by 55.5 percent down to 4.63 seconds and cutting his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 19.7 percent to 56.43, alongside a first ever official Square-1 attempt of 54.03. Isaac Josue Mora Pérez delivered a huge leap on the 2x2x2 Cube, trimming his personal best by 55 percent to 3.18 seconds while improving his 3x3x3 results to 17.40 and logging a first Skewb attempt of 12.91. Matias Lobo Rojas completed first career attempts in Pyraminx at 8.28 and One-Handed at 33.57, all while shaving 22.7 percent off his 3x3x3 personal best with a time of 17.02.

Progression continued across the board as Gabriel Montano Loría improved his Skewb best by 38.4 percent to 8.85 seconds, trimmed his 4x4x4 Cube record to 1:31.15, and took his first official One-Handed solve in 40.64. Mathias Coto Díaz took on six events, logging a first One-Handed time of 31.61 while lowering his Skewb mark to 10.95 and improving his 4x4x4 Cube by 24.6 percent to 1:30.25. Sebastián Moya Arroyo took his first official Pyraminx solve in 22.56 and dropped his 3x3x3 best by 33.7 percent to 16.81. Making their career debuts in official speedcubing, Dario Gonzalo Villalobos entered four events and posted a 7.18 single on 2x2x2, while Aaron Barquero Fernández debuted across three puzzles with a 27.78 mark in Pyraminx.

The single-day meet demonstrated the remarkable breadth of Costa Rican speed cubing talent across all experience levels. With all 24 podium spots claimed by domestic competitors, the gathering in San José underscored how veteran poise and rising enthusiasm continue to strengthen the local scene. As equipment was packed away, the standard set across eight diverse events ensured that Cubing Tibas 2026 will stand as a benchmark for the regional community.