SacCubing XXIII 2026

A total of 92 competitors stepped up to the tables on May 17, 2026, setting the stage for a packed day of speedcubing in Sacramento, California, USA. Hosted at La Sierra Community Center, SacCubing XXIII 2026 brought together five distinct events and ten separate rounds of action. Speed cubing enthusiasts and seasoned veterans alike gathered under the World Cube Association banner to test their turning speed, mental stamina, and problem-solving execution across a diverse roster of puzzles.

The larger layered challenges demand a unique level of sustained concentration and finger endurance, making the 4x4x4 Cube one of the most physically demanding contests of the gathering. Solving the complex inner mechanisms requires intense calculation, center building, and edge pairing before reaching standard 3x3 stages. Dan Pastushkov showed masterful control over the heavier puzzle across two grueling rounds, securing the gold medal with a winning average of 29.40 seconds and posting a field-leading single of 25.71 seconds. Pastushkov held off United States contenders Zane Qureshi, who finished runner-up at 31.33 seconds, and Gurshan Singh, who took third with a 31.49 average.

The flagship 3x3x3 Cube contest drew 89 competitors across three rounds, delivering tense battles at the top of the standings. In the deciding round, Sebastian Stone of the United States claimed the victory with a 7.20-second winning average, backed by the best single time of the competition at 6.47 seconds. Gurshan Singh secured second place with an average of 7.36 seconds, while 4x4x4 champion Dan Pastushkov claimed third on the podium with a 7.39 average. The closely contested 3x3 results demonstrated exceptional consistency across every phase of the Rubik's Cube main event.

The side events provided rapid action, highlighted by an extraordinary performance in Pyraminx. Hrishikesh Kakati of India dominated the 47-competitor field over two rounds, claiming top honors with a remarkable 2.11 winning average and a single solve of 1.70 seconds. Sebastian Stone followed with a 3.31 average to take the silver medal, while Sid Shivnath placed third with an average of 3.47 seconds. The tetrahedral puzzle demanded split-second recognition and lightning turns, establishing Kakati as the standout international champion of the day.

Precision handling remained on display during the single-round Square-1 contest, where Calvin Nielson earned first place with an 8.38 average and the fastest single of 5.31 seconds among 17 competitors. Matt Mao of China pushed Nielson to the wire, finishing a razor-thin second with an 8.39 average, while Joseph Ong secured bronze at 9.70 seconds. In Skewb, Vedanth Bharadwaj captured gold with a 4.63 average and a 3.05 single, finishing ahead of Matt Mao, who took his second silver of the day with a 4.76 average, and Joseph Ong, who finished third at 6.18 seconds.

Beyond the championship podiums, several competitors logged significant career milestones across the tournament schedule. Alejandro Buendia took on four events, dropping his Skewb personal best by 49.3 percent down to 5.42 seconds and cutting his Pyraminx personal best by 48.3 percent to 4.46 seconds. Edward Shih tackled four events, setting an impressive 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.38 seconds, which was 42.4 percent faster than his prior mark, while also registering his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 14.28 and his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 12.07. Jamie Mannina entered three events, taking 9th in Skewb while improving his Skewb personal best by 37.7 percent to 4.46 seconds and his 3x3x3 personal best to 13.36 seconds. Gavin Zhu entered all five events, recording his first ever attempt at Square-1 with a 32.98, while slashing his Pyraminx personal best by 31.2 percent down to 2.38 seconds.

The progress continued across every corner of the venue as competitors expanded their repertoires. Brandon Flores took on three disciplines, recording his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 7.50 and lowering his 3x3x3 personal best by 25.2 percent to 19.39 seconds. Derek Chang recorded a 15th-place finish in Square-1, improving his Skewb personal best by 37.3 percent to 5.27 seconds and his Square-1 personal best by 24.5 percent to 38.34 seconds. Several participants also marked their first WCA competition at the meet, including Anderson Cox, who entered four events and posted an initial 3x3x3 mark of 13.20 seconds alongside a 4x4x4 time of 1:04.93, and Miguel Medina, who registered a 12.92 in 3x3x3 and a 1:15.66 in 4x4x4 across three events.

The international balance across the fifteen awarded podium spots highlighted United States competitors with twelve medals, China with two, and India with one. From the mechanical demands of the 4x4x4 Cube to the rapid turns of Pyraminx and Skewb, SacCubing XXIII 2026 proved to be an efficient and competitive display of speedcubing talent. As another dynamic cubing competition concludes in Northern California, competitors now look forward to building on these marks as the next season of tournament play approaches.