Cuenca Open 2026

Patrick Ponce set a blazing standard at Centro Comercial Batán Shoping, turning in a decisive 5.76 winning average and a 4.89 single to claim the premier 3x3x3 Cube title. That electric display anchored an intense single-day meeting on February 21, 2026, where 34 competitors gathered in Cuenca, Ecuador for Cuenca Open 2026. Across eight events and ten rounds of play, reaching the final round in any discipline required sharp execution and absolute precision through every solve.

The 3x3 results demonstrated just how tough the contest was across two demanding rounds of Rubik's Cube solving. Ponce, representing the USA, led the final field ahead of Ecuador's Anthony Gerard Álvarez Ludeña, who secured second with an 8.53 average, and Justin Santiago Reinoso Arias, who earned third with 9.06. Earning a spot among the finalists in Cuenca required relentless consistency as contenders pushed each other for every fraction of a second on the timer.

Ponce doubled down on his hardware count in the larger puzzles and specialty events. In the 4x4x4 Cube, he clinched first place with a 23.77 average and a 20.45 single, holding off Ecuadorian challengers Caleb Salcedo Rivera at 33.94 and Álvarez Ludeña at 34.04. He followed that victory with a dominant run in 3x3x3 One-Handed, posting a winning average of 9.44. Germany's Jakob Schöley followed in second at 14.72, while Álvarez Ludeña added a third-place finish with 15.57.

Ecuadorian competitors dominated the multi-layered landscape across the schedule at Cuenca Open 2026, claiming 18 total podium spots. Álvarez Ludeña captured two gold finishes of his own, winning the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.61 average over Josué Ordóñez at 3.67 and Salcedo Rivera at 3.81. He also topped the Megaminx podium with a 49.24 average, besting Salcedo Rivera at 52.41 and Pablo Sebastián Flores Peralta at 1:12.85 in a grueling test of endurance and turning speed.

Flores Peralta staged a double victory of his own in the rotational events, securing the Clock title with a 6.67 average ahead of Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas at 8.19 and Schöley at 8.57. Flores Peralta then returned to top the Skewb standings with a 6.04 average, again outpacing Aldás Cuestas at 6.56 and Samir Felipe Espinoza Landivar at 7.92. In Pyraminx, Schöley broke through for Germany, winning with a 5.33 average over Álvarez Ludeña at 5.73 and Ordóñez at 6.11.

Beyond the championship podiums, the depth of this speedcubing meeting was written in the massive personal strides taken throughout the roster. Gabriel Santiago Vela Carangui delivered a dramatic leap in the 4x4x4 Cube, clocking a 1:24.51 personal best that was 58 percent faster than his prior mark. Mateo Quichimbo took on five events, completing a first ever attempt at Clock in 18.63 while earning a sixth-place tournament high. Karim Samuel Hill Alvarez tackled seven disciplines, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube best by 26.2 percent down to 2:04.02. Nhamir Noé Nieto Naula recorded a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 49.20 while racing to seventh in 2x2x2 Cube.

The progress continued across the tournament hall as competitors tested their limits at this WCA competition. Danila Krasnov trimmed his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 20.1 percent to 3.37 while taking seventh in Skewb, and Cristopher Jordan Mendoza Mora improved his 3x3x3 Cube benchmark by 17.3 percent to 12.18. Anthony Mishquero competed across eight separate events, recording an 11.51 personal best in Skewb and placing fifth in Clock. Angelina Maybrith Illescas Cochancela entered her first WCA competition, recording initial marks across three events, including a 17.18 single on Pyraminx.

The relentless pacing of Cuenca Open 2026 highlighted the vibrant standard of speed cubing in the region throughout 2026. From international champions setting high-water marks to local talents cutting tens of seconds off their times, every round proved competitive. With eight puzzle categories settled across ten rounds, Cuenca Open 2026 established an impressive benchmark for the season ahead in South American cubing competition.