Maltese teenager improves five national records at Italian speedcubing championships

Sixteen-year-old Maltese speedcuber Benjamin Chetcuti Cauchi delivered another strong international performance after improving five Maltese national records at the World Cube Association (WCA) Italian Championships, held between December 6 and 8 in Treviglio, Bergamo.

The competition attracted 255 participants from across Europe and featured eight official events.

For Chetcuti Cauchi, it marked his eighth WCA competition abroad, adding to two previous events held in Malta, and continued a steady progression at the international level.

At the Italian Championships, Chetcuti Cauchi bettered his own existing Maltese benchmarks in the 4×4×4 cube (single and average), the 5×5×5 cube (single and average), and the Megaminx single event, further consolidating his position as Malta’s leading competitor in the discipline.

Chetcuti Cauchi’s rise in the sport began at an unusually early stage.

At the age of 12, he made his competitive debut at the WCA Norwegian Championships in 2022, where he broke 25 Maltese national records in what was his first official competition.

He followed this with another standout performance at the WCA Irish Championships in 2023, breaking 26 Maltese national records, all of which were already held by him, confirming a pattern of sustained improvement across successive international events.

The results are particularly noteworthy given Malta’s limited competitive ecosystem in speedcubing.

Larger nations benefit from deeper competitive pools and frequent national competitions, while Maltese athletes must rely largely on international events for high-level exposure and benchmarking.

Despite these constraints, local competitors continue to perform to recognised international standards.

Chetcuti Cauchi was joined at the championships by his younger sister, Philippa Chetcuti Cauchi, who also competed in seven WCA events and recorded a new personal best during the competition.

Both siblings have now accumulated experience across ten official WCA competitions, including events held locally and abroad.

Speedcubing competitions are governed by the World Cube Association, the international body responsible for regulating events and maintaining publicly verified national and world records.

The sport has grown significantly worldwide over the past decade, with structured competitions held regularly across Europe and beyond.