Nacionales El Salvador 2025

A blistering final round in the classic 3x3x3 Cube settled the weekend at Nacionales El Salvador 2025, where Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado edged out Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez by fourteen hundredths of a second. Melendez Maldonado clinched the flagship title with a winning average of 8.24 seconds, featuring a best single of 7.26 seconds. Batz Rodríguez applied constant pressure to finish runner-up with an 8.38 average, while José Eduardo Palacios Castro captured third place for the host country with a mark of 10.32 seconds.

Held from December 19 to December 21, 2025, at the Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador - BINAES, the cubing competition brought 49 competitors together in San Salvador, El Salvador. The three-day WCA competition staged 21 rounds across 15 official events, showcasing elite turns alongside foundational community milestones. Guatemala led the overall medal haul across the weekend with 29 podium placements, while Salvadoran solvers secured 18 podium spots in an energetic regional showcase.

The lightning-fast short puzzles delivered intense drama from the start. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez claimed the gold medal with an outstanding winning average of 2.80 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single of 2.30 seconds across 35 competitors. Batz Rodríguez also swept the Pyraminx event with a 3.55 average and the Skewb category with a 5.07 average, asserting dominance in the quick-turning formats that demand split-second spatial awareness and immaculate execution.

Batz Rodríguez extended his remarkable form into the medium and larger puzzles, completing an extraordinary multi-event triumph. He claimed top honours in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event with a 15.37 average, outperforming Melendez Maldonado who posted 17.02 seconds. In Megaminx, Batz Rodríguez captured first place with an average of 45.96 seconds, before winning the 5x5x5 Cube with a 58.82 average, the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:52.49, and the 7x7x7 Cube in 3:21.64.

The big cube duels between the Guatemalan leaders remained fiercely contested throughout Nacionales El Salvador 2025. Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado answered back in the 4x4x4 Cube, seizing first place with a 31.79 winning average over Batz Rodríguez who recorded 33.55 seconds, while Javier Portillo finished third with 41.46 seconds. Melendez Maldonado also took the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with a best single of 29 moves in the untimed cerebral challenge.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the spotlight. Cesar Alberto Garcia Muñoz generated the largest single jump of the weekend in 4x4x4 Cube, posting a personal best of 1:09.35 that shaved 53.6 percent off his previous benchmark, while also competing across six events. Francisco Orestes Villatoro Pérez dropped his 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube personal best by 47.3 percent down to 30.13 seconds and registered his first official attempts at Pyraminx and 2x2x2 Cube. In the same spirit of speedcubing progress, David Isaí Rauda Perez lowered his 3x3 personal best by 38.1 percent to 39.14 seconds.

First-time event entries and significant breakthroughs highlighted the broader depth of the gathering. Emilio Alexis Sosa Ramirez took on eight events, securing his best finish of ninth in Square-1 with a first-time mark of 51.34 seconds alongside maiden entries in 6x6x6 Cube and Megaminx. Benjamin Antonio Cordero Vasquez logged his first Skewb attempt of 11.40 seconds while improving his 3x3 single to 15.05 seconds. Spanish competitor Antonio Bóveda Pleitéz took eighth place in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 2.92 seconds, while newcomers José Noel Ayala Guardado and Raquel Marisela Chacón Maldonado completed their first WCA competition appearances across multiple disciplines.

Local talent found triumph across several technical disciplines during Nacionales El Salvador 2025. José Eduardo Palacios Castro delivered gold for the home nation in Square-1 with a winning average of 14.95 seconds and added another title in Clock with a 9.54 average. In blindfolded solving, Joel Hernández won the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event with a 2:49.97 single, and Carlos Luis Guerra Ramírez took the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind discipline by successfully solving 5 out of 5 cubes in 43 minutes and 40 seconds.

As the final 3x3 results entered the official books, the gathering at BINAES concluded a memorable festival of speed cubing excellence in San Salvador, El Salvador. From the rapid turns of 2x2 and 3x3 to the marathon blindfolded attempts, the weekend highlighted the vibrant talent and rising standards across the Central American cubing landscape heading toward the next season.