Lian Yunzhi sets new women's Rubik's Cube speed record at age six
Speedcuber Lian Yunzhi has shattered the women's world record for the 3x3x3 puzzle, achieving an average time of 4.27 seconds.
A young speedcuber has rewritten the record books by shattering the women's world record for solving the 3x3x3 puzzle with an average time of just over four seconds, according to reporting by Fox10tv. The milestone achievement places the competitor in a league of her own as the sole female competitor to breach the sub-4.5-second average barrier, capturing international attention as details emerged from state media broadcasts and verified competition results.
The record-breaking runs unfolded across two separate World Cube Association-certified events held earlier this month, as detailed by The Guardian. First, competing in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, Lian posted an average time of 4.52 seconds across five solves. She then travelled to the southern city of Guangzhou, where she further sharpened her execution to clock an average of 4.27 seconds. Footage circulating from the events captured her focused demeanor, wearing a red hairband and bow, before breaking into smiles, clapping, and pumping her fist in the air—including a single individual attempt that flashed by in roughly 3.54 seconds, as noted by Nypost.
Media additions
The Ottumwa Courier reported that the official association website lists Lian as the reigning record holder for the fastest women's average time on the classic puzzle. Her rapid ascent marks a dramatic transformation from her early days with the puzzle. When she first touched a Rubik's Cube at age four, her initial solves required approximately 90 seconds. Initially lacking the confidence to enter competitive arenas, her growing mastery and subsequent recognition spurred her forward.
| Competition Location | Average Time | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Wuhan | 4.52 seconds | Initial record-breaking performance earlier this month |
| Guangzhou | 4.27 seconds | Improved record-setting performance at a subsequent race |
Behind the lightning-fast finger movements lies an intense regimen of dedication and structured coaching. According to accounts provided to local media outlets, Lian's mother, Lin Yangxi, enrolled her daughter in a variety of extracurricular pursuits, including dance and music lessons. Lin eventually noticed that cubing offered exceptional benefits for building comprehensive cognitive capabilities, noting that the discipline fosters focus, memory, logical thinking, and spatial awareness while cultivating a healthy mindset toward competition.
Family support played an instrumental role in shaping the young record-holder's trajectory. Lin explained that the practice relies on logical deduction rather than mindless memorization. To foster this growth, her parents transported her to Shanghai to receive instruction from elite coaches. Lian has since memorized more than 1,300 solving formulas and dedicates roughly two to three hours every single day to focused training sessions.
Family members emphasize that the psychological transformation has been just as striking as the stopwatch numbers.
This newfound assurance has allowed her to navigate high-pressure tournament environments with composure, turning shelves at home into display cases for a growing collection of trophies."She was an introverted kid. Now, she is very confident wherever she goes"
Lin Yangxi, mother, via Fox10tv
