A 6-year-old Chinese girl set the women's world record in 3x3 Rubik's Cube solving by breaking the record twice within a single month, achieving average times of 4.52 and 4.27 seconds, becoming the first female cuber to record an average time below 4.5 seconds.
Chinese official media reported that Lian Yunzhu, nicknamed "Zizhi," a 6-year-old girl from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, set new women's world records in the 3x3 Rubik's Cube competition by breaking the world average record twice in September 2026.
China Central Television (CCTV) reported that Lian set the records at competitions certified by the World Cube Association (WCA), held in Wuhan and Guangzhou, with an average time over five solves of 4.52 seconds in one event and an even better average of 4.27 seconds in another.
CCTV noted that Lian is the first female Rubik's Cube competitor to achieve an average time under 4.5 seconds, an outstanding record for an athlete only six years old.
Video footage released by CCTV shows Lian wearing a red checkered bow on her head while swiftly and accurately twisting the Rubik's Cube. Upon completion, she placed the cube on the table, applauded, and raised her fist in joy.
Lian's mother, Lin Yangxi, told local media that her daughter began learning to solve the Rubik's Cube after being enrolled in classes at a young age. Initially, the Rubik's Cube was just one of several skill-building activities alongside dance and music.
Lin said that over time she realized that solving the Rubik's Cube greatly promotes a child's overall abilities, leading her to encourage her daughter to focus more on practicing this skill.
Currently, Lian can memorize and apply more than 1,300 Rubik's Cube algorithms and practices daily for 2 to 3 hours. Photos from Chengdu's Red Star News show her trophies from various competitions displayed on shelves at home.
Lin explained that solving the Rubik's Cube develops concentration, memory, systematic thinking, spatial awareness, and fosters a positive attitude toward both winning and losing. She emphasized that solving the cube is not just about memorizing formulas but also requires logical reasoning to find the most efficient solutions.
,AFP