Santo Domingo Winter 2026

Fifty-one competitors gathered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on January 17–18 for Santo Domingo Winter 2026, setting the stage for an intense weekend of puzzle-solving action at Galeria 360. Over 17 rounds and across 10 separate events, the WCA competition brought together experienced national speedsters and rising prospects alike. The home crowd had plenty to cheer for from the start, as local talent delivered commanding performances across multiple puzzle disciplines throughout the two-day gathering.

Leading the home charge was Cristian Samuel Carrasco Peña, who authored an emphatic performance by collecting four individual gold-medal finishes. The Dominican star set the standard early in the weekend, turning in sharp execution in the big cubes before transferring that same rhythm to the classic Rubik's Cube. By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, Carrasco Peña had established himself as the benchmark competitor of the entire speedcubing weekend.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a tournament-high 44 competitors across three contested rounds. In the final, Carrasco Peña took top honors with a tournament-winning average of 7.39 seconds and an event-best single of 6.73 seconds. Luis Felipe Villamil Gil secured second place with a 9.24 average, while Oscar Luis De Los Santos Defilló completed the podium in third at 9.76. The 3x3 results capped a dominant showing for local speedcubers against a tough field.

Carrasco Peña was equally untouchable in the extended puzzle categories. In the 4x4x4 Cube, he clinched victory with a 33.90 average, followed by Amaury Miguel Caballero in second at 35.77 and Marco Jose Mercedes in third at 38.02. Stepping up to the 5x5x5 Cube, Carrasco Peña logged an average of 1:00.18 with a best single of 53.06, again holding off Caballero, who took silver at 1:10.87, and Villamil Gil in bronze at 1:15.24. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Carrasco Peña completed his four-gold haul with a 13.86 winning average.

Beyond the multi-puzzle sweep, other local standouts claimed their share of the hardware. Emil Francisco Solano Gil enjoyed a standout meet of his own, winning Pyraminx with a 4.11 average ahead of Venezuela's Allegra Lozada at 5.84 and Iván Artiles at 6.31. Solano Gil also took gold in Square-1, recording a 14.20 average with a best single of 10.29. In Skewb, Oscar Luis De Los Santos Defilló earned the top spot on the podium with a 4.73 average. Meanwhile, Jake Céspedes Liriano tackled the pure memorization challenges of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, taking the win with a single of 1:53.79, ahead of Artiles at 2:40.31.

Behind the headline finishes, the tournament provided a stage for several competitors making remarkable personal strides. Maycoll Miguel Cabrera Diaz produced one of the sharpest drops of the weekend, slashing 70.2 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to finish in 12.31 seconds. David Skrupskyi chopped 49.5 percent from his Skewb mark down to 22.52 seconds, while also cutting his 4x4x4 Cube best to 2:11.84 and taking on his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:29.07. Diego Alejandro Acevedo Fermín improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 47 percent down to 2.63 seconds and took sixth in Pyraminx. Kenichi Inuyama Genao registered three big personal bests across eight events, including a 44.1 percent drop in Pyraminx to 10.82 seconds and a 41.7 percent drop in Skewb to 6.61 seconds.

First-time events and competition debuts brought genuine energy to the venue floor. Gabriel Crucel tackled five events, recording his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 16.88 seconds, 4x4x4 Cube in 1:44.34, and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 44.57 seconds. Adrian Amaury Rivera Mercedes placed 13th in Megaminx while posting his first ever attempt at Skewb in 8.44 seconds and a 19.6 percent improvement on his 5x5x5 Cube mark at 3:00.78. Juan Diego Villamil Gil managed eight events, making his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 4:07.24 and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 55.34 seconds. Víctor Emmanuel Martínez marked his first WCA competition with an eighth-place finish in Pyraminx alongside a first attempt of 6.00 seconds.

In the remaining brackets, Marco Jose Mercedes captured the 2x2x2 Cube title with a 2.60 average, while Enmanuel Canario Mora won Megaminx with a 56.38 average. Across every division, the Dominican delegation swept up 30 podium places, demonstrating deep talent across modern speed cubing events. Santo Domingo Winter 2026 closed its 2026 schedule having delivered memorable home victories, exceptional breakthroughs, and a vibrant showcase of regional cubing talent.