Most people consider solving the puzzle at all a respectable achievement. Six-year-old Lian Yunzhi has instead broken the Rubik’s Cube world record for the fastest women’s average twice in three days, because apparently one record was not enough for the week.

The young speedcuber set both marks at World Cube Association competitions in China. Her second performance also made her the only female competitor to post an official average below 4.5 seconds for the standard 3x3x3 cube.

How did Lian Yunzhi set two records?

Lian established her first benchmark at a competition in Wuhan, where she completed the required solves with an average time of 4.52 seconds. That result surpassed the previous women’s record of 4.68 seconds, set by Qixian Cao earlier in 2026.

Three days later, Lian competed again in Guangzhou and reduced her own mark to 4.27 seconds. In less than half a week, she had improved the category record by a total of 0.41 seconds. In speedcubing, where competitors measure progress in fractions of a second, that is not a minor adjustment.

An official average is calculated from five solves. Organisers remove the fastest and slowest results, then average the remaining three. The format limits the effect of one unusually quick attempt or one solve that goes mildly wrong, at least by elite speedcubing standards.

Solving a scrambled cube at this level requires memorised methods, rapid pattern recognition and precise hand movements. Leading competitors have refined those skills over decades. Lian has reached the top of her category before finishing primary school, which seems slightly inconsiderate to everyone who still needs several minutes and an online tutorial.

How does her time compare with the overall records?

The overall 3x3x3 records remain faster, although they belong to separate competitive categories and formats.

  • Xuanyi Geng holds the overall average record at 3.71 seconds.
  • Teodor Zajder holds the overall single-solve record at 2.76 seconds.
  • Lian Yunzhi holds the women’s average record at 4.27 seconds.

Zajder’s single result cannot be directly compared with Lian’s five-solve average. A single-solve record rewards the quickest official attempt, while an average demands consistent performance across several rounds.

It is not yet clear when Lian will try to lower her time again. Given that she needed only three days to improve the first record, the current benchmark may not have much time to settle in.