Just Sides in Lyndhurst 2026

Roman Rudakov delivered the defining performance of the weekend by setting an Australian national record average of 31.80 seconds on Megaminx. Held at the Marriott Waters Family & Community Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on May 16, 2026, the battle for dominance across specialized side events brought 37 competitors together for nine intense rounds. Rudakov capped off his dominant display by securing the Megaminx title with a 34.23 average and a single of 32.88 in the finals, leading an Australian sweep of all 12 podium positions available throughout the meet.

Just Sides in Lyndhurst 2026 put the spotlight firmly away from the standard Rubik's Cube main event, giving specialty disciplines a dedicated stage. Local speedcubing contenders clashed across four distinct events, challenging regional rivals in a compressed, high-stakes schedule. The single-day WCA competition brought sharp rivalries to the fore as competitors who frequently share tables across Victoria fought round by round for supremacy on alternate puzzles.

In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Riley Dexter outperformed a deep field of 36 entrants to claim victory. Dexter secured the top spot with an 11.71 winning average and a crisp 10.40 single solve, successfully holding off Phoenix Patterson who finished second with an average of 12.60. Tommy Kiprillis rounded out the podium in third with an average of 13.43. While traditional 3x3 results often command the spotlight, Dexter demonstrated exceptional single-handed technique against familiar Victorian peers.

The Clock event delivered a blistering contest across two rounds involving 35 competitors. Lucas Dinh proved unbeatable, capturing the gold medal with a 3.77 average alongside the best single of the day at 3.37. Alex Butera pushed hard to claim the second position with an average of 4.50, narrowly beating Benjamin Kao who earned third place with a 4.67 average. The razor-thin margins between the top three demonstrated the intense competitive level among the nation's best clock solvers.

Square-1 action required three full rounds to settle, demanding endurance from 30 competitors. Jacob Joshi captured the title with a commanding 7.80 average and a 5.63 single in the final round. Auric Cui finished as the runner-up with an 8.57 average, while Tommy Kiprillis secured his second bronze medal of the competition with a 9.58 average. Dexter also added to his medal haul later in the day by taking third in Megaminx with a 45.31 average, trailing runner-up Avery Graham at 42.26 and Rudakov at the top.

Beyond the championship finals, the heart of the speed cubing gathering lived in the personal milestones achieved across the venue. Ibrahim Cheema took on three events and slashed his personal best in Clock to 10.99, an improvement of 54.6 percent, while cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed best to 33.63 by 33 percent, and making a first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 3:04.08. Jordan Lazaro took on four events, dropping his Clock personal best by 40.1 percent to 10.99, alongside setting personal bests in Megaminx at 2:37.75 and Square-1 at 14.73.

First-time event runs and massive percentage drops continued throughout the lower rounds. Hugo Rodriguez Beaumont lowered his Clock personal best by 31.7 percent to 19.57 and posted his first official attempts at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 39.57 and Megaminx with 1:41.03. Andreas Lukic tackled four events, improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 32.9 percent to 32.82 and his Square-1 best by 20.5 percent to 21.50. Jai Hobbs improved his Megaminx mark by 18.6 percent down to 1:01.70, while Lewis Cheetham-Smith registered debut attempts in Clock at 12.65 and One-Handed at 37.31. William Fu made debut attempts in three events, including a 46.31 in One-Handed and a 32.13 in Clock, while Aaditya Vegad made his debut appearance at a cubing competition by completing his first official Megaminx attempt in 2:33.78.

The final round standings underscored the depth of regional talent across non-traditional events. With 12 podium spots earned across four events, Just Sides in Lyndhurst 2026 proved that side-event specialists can deliver high drama and record-breaking times. As the 2026 Australian circuit progresses, the competitive rivalries established in Lyndhurst set a high benchmark for the remaining calendar.