NxNxN Rīgā 2026

Vilius Ribinskas produced a dominant showing in Rīga, Latvia, taking five individual victories across six events at NxNxN Rīgā 2026 on June 27, 2026. The Lithuanian competitor swept every puzzle size from the 3x3x3 Cube all the way to the 7x7x7 Cube. Beyond the remarkable winning streak, the single-day speedcubing gathering at NVO nams highlighted the shared community spirit of the Baltic scene, bringing together 16 competitors across 12 fast-paced rounds of official competition.

The venue buzzed with camaraderie as solvers gathered around practice tables between rounds to share solve methods and compare gear. In the classic 3x3x3 Cube, Ribinskas captured top honours with a final average of 9.42 seconds and a best single time of 7.32 seconds. Aleksejs Oglobļins pushed hard to take second place with an average of 9.57 seconds, while Maksim Zemtšihhin claimed third place with a 10.03-second mark, anchoring an exciting set of 3x3 results.

The 2x2x2 Cube served as the lone exception to the sweep, giving Estonian competitor Maksim Zemtšihhin a standout victory. Zemtšihhin delivered a winning average of 3.09 seconds alongside a blistering 2.12 single across three intense rounds. Yeskendir Kenzhebolat of Kazakhstan secured second place with a 3.43 average, followed closely by Latvia's Matīss Maksis Podinskis in third with a 3.71 average, creating one of the tightest podium races of the weekend.

In the mid-sized puzzles, Ribinskas maintained his steady command at the tables. The 4x4x4 Cube saw him secure first place with a 33.92-second average and a single solve of 32.86 seconds. Yeskendir Kenzhebolat earned another podium spot by taking second with a 35.78 average, while Vladislavs Baranovs of Latvia joined them on the podium in third place, recording a final average of 38.38 seconds among the field of 13 competitors.

The 5x5x5 Cube delivered another victory for Ribinskas, who broke the minute barrier with a winning average of 58.57 seconds and a fast single of 56.39. Oglobļins secured second place with an average of 1:07.63, while Baranovs claimed third with a time of 1:09.89. Both Latvian podium finishers demonstrated steady consistency through both rounds of the 12-competitor event.

Away from the top steps of the podium, personal milestones defined the true heart of this cubing competition. Gusts Vasips recorded remarkable progress across five events, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 1.77 seconds, which was 50.6 percent faster than his previous mark, cutting his 5x5x5 Cube best to 2:41.53 for a 47 percent improvement, and logging a first ever attempt at the 6x6x6 Cube with a time of 4:56.93 to place 10th. Amēlija Barone entered two events, improving her 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 19.67 seconds, 17.6 percent faster than before, while lowering her 2x2x2 Cube mark to 4.63 seconds, a 17.3 percent gain. Gints Mazurs completed five events, finishing sixth in the 2x2x2 Cube while cutting his 5x5x5 Cube mark to 1:58.61, an improvement of 14 percent, and his 4x4x4 Cube best to 56.91 seconds, 5 percent faster. Julius Dobilas tackled five events, achieving an eighth-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube and lowering his 6x6x6 Cube personal best by 11.1 percent down to 3:57.91.

The depth of experience and ambition across the tables was evident throughout the day. Mihails Teļkijevs took on five events, achieving a high finish of seventh place in the 7x7x7 Cube. Toms Edvards Vucens entered all six events on the schedule, earning a seventh-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube. Longtime competitor Jānis Zirnis also contested all six events, securing a fourth-place finish in the 7x7x7 Cube. Meanwhile, Maris Travinas made their first WCA competition appearance, taking on two events and completing their first ever attempts in the 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 19.45 seconds and the 3x3x3 Cube in 38.68 seconds.

Big cube events rounded out the schedule with impressive feats of concentration and endurance. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Ribinskas posted a winning mean of 1:55.67 with a best single of 1:48.88. Baranovs and Oglobļins completed the podium in second and third place with times of 2:13.64 and 2:23.45 respectively. The 7x7x7 Cube saw Ribinskas close out his five-title sweep with an average of 3:03.39 and a single of 2:53.36, ahead of Baranovs at 3:13.79 and Oglobļins at 3:33.31.

The action at NxNxN Rīgā 2026 illustrated how speed cubing thrives on close community bonds and technical mastery across every standard puzzle. Host nation Latvia led the overall medal haul with nine total podium places, accompanied by five for Lithuania, two for Estonia, and two for Kazakhstan. Solvers packed up their Rubik's Cube collections having shared an intense day of personal milestones, big-cube battles, and friendly rivalry in the Latvian capital.