Welcome Guayaquil Open 2026

A commanding Megaminx victory set the tone for a thrilling day of side events in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where Caleb Salcedo Rivera navigated the twelve-sided puzzle to post a winning average of 52.15 seconds, highlighted by a rapid 44.47 single. The effort edged out Dereck Estrada, who claimed the runner-up spot in 52.40, while Hugo Enrique Rosales López finished third in 1:05.02. The tightly contested battle served as the standout highlight at the Welcome Guayaquil Open 2026, putting the technical demands of non-traditional formats directly into the spotlight at C.C. Alban Borja on April 25, 2026.

Across the schedule, the cubing competition celebrated versatility across 7 events and 10 rounds of play. Salcedo Rivera was a constant presence at the top of the leaderboards in the specialist disciplines. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which tests dexterity and solitary finger execution, he took first place with a 14.20 average and a single of 12.91. Estrada again secured second place with 16.89, and Rosales López rounded out the top three with 18.59. Salcedo Rivera continued his run on the 5x5x5 Cube, winning the event with a 1:08.59 average, breaking the minute barrier on a single attempt of 59.41, as Estrada took silver in 1:12.54 and Bryan Adrian Coello Murillo took bronze in 1:17.71.

Fernando Zevallos proved unbeatable in the faster sprint disciplines, capturing two gold podium spots. In Pyraminx, Zevallos solved his way to the title with a decisive 5.71 average and a best effort of 4.18, leading Leonardo Miguel Viteri Cardenas with 6.43 and Sebastián Elías Escalante Bernabé with 9.84. Zevallos brought the same sharp execution to the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a 29-competitor field with an average of 2.18 and a 1.67 single. Santiago Matias Guarnizo Alvarez took second place with 3.50, just ahead of Salcedo Rivera in 3.60.

Big cube and classic speedcubing events also delivered high drama throughout the weekend. Dereck Estrada captured top honors in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 36.57 and a single of 34.76. Salcedo Rivera finished second with 38.12, followed by Rosales López in third with 45.22. Across the board, every single one of the 21 podium places available during the tournament went to competitors representing Ecuador, demonstrating remarkable domestic depth across every format.

Beyond the championship battles, the tournament floor hummed with personal triumphs and breakthrough milestones. Gary Kenneth Velasquez Uzho delivered a massive leap in standard 3x3x3 speed cubing, trimming his personal record by 64.9 percent down to 15.48. Ivan Piero Meza Alvarado tackled four events and recorded drops across the board, including a 3.37 single in 2x2x2 Cube that was 58.1 percent faster than before, a 34.89 in one-handed solving, and a 10th-place event finish. Emmanuel Rovayo Moreno achieved a best finish of 9th in Pyraminx with an 11.02 personal record while knocking 57.1 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube single to hit 5.24. Dustin Coello took on three disciplines, earning 8th place in 4x4x4 Cube with a first ever attempt of 58.04 and lowering his 3x3x3 single by 19.5 percent to 11.55.

Progress continued across the full spectrum of puzzles as competitors embraced new challenges. Israel Roman Asquel Guamàn entered five categories, setting a personal best of 1:43.77 in Megaminx that was 52.5 percent faster than his prior mark alongside a 5th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube. Joao Crofford completed seven separate events, logging his first ever attempt at the 5x5x5 Cube in 1:47.27, a 4th-place run in Pyraminx, and a Megaminx personal record of 1:13.87. David Navarrete earned 4th in 2x2x2 Cube, recorded his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:24.10, and lowered his 4x4x4 single to 53.78. Meanwhile, Matias Romero made his first WCA competition appearance, competing in three events, posting his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 15.72, and taking 8th place.

The premier 3x3 results concluded the program with three competitive rounds featuring 39 competitors. Dereck Estrada secured the signature Rubik's Cube victory with an 8.62 average and the weekend's best single solve of 7.46. Salcedo Rivera collected another podium appearance in second place with a 9.93 average, while Rosales López claimed third step with 10.29, wrapping up an intense duel between the nation's top performers.

Altogether, 41 competitors assembled at the Welcome Guayaquil Open 2026 to push their limits across diverse disciplines. From the twelve-sided complexity of Megaminx to the precise turns of one-handed solving and standard cubes, this WCA competition delivered great matchups and significant individual milestones. As the 2026 season progresses, the performances at the Welcome Guayaquil Open 2026 will serve as an inspiring benchmark for all who competed.