Six-year-old speedcuber Lian Yunzhi has set a new women’s world record for solving a 3×3 Rubik’s Cube, averaging 4.27 seconds at a competition in Guangzhou. The milestone makes the Chengdu native the first female competitor in the sport to record an average time below 4.5 seconds.
When six-year-old Lian Yunzhi stepped up to the table at World Cube Association certified competitions in September, she was not just solving a puzzle—she was rewriting the record books. Competing across Wuhan and Guangzhou, the young speedcuber broke the women’s 3×3 average world record twice in the span of three days.
First, she posted an average of 4.52 seconds. Just days later, she lowered that mark to 4.27 seconds in Guangzhou. That blazing performance makes her the only female speedcuber in the world to break the 4.5-second barrier, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Her fastest single solve during the outings reached an astonishing 3.54 seconds.
From Extracurricular Hobby to Global Record Holder
Known by her nickname “Zhizhi,” the young prodigy from Chengdu in Sichuan province first encountered the puzzle at age four. Her parents enrolled her in a speedcuber class as one of several extracurricular activities, which also included dancing, painting, gymnastics, and music lessons.
While she was well-behaved in all her subjects, her family eventually recognized that speedcubing offered unique developmental potential. Training regimen demands grew rapidly. Zhizhi now spends two to three hours practicing on weekdays, scaling up to six hours on weekends, alongside her kindergarten studies.
Progress did not come without friction. After a few months of practice, her average time plateaued at eight seconds. For three or four months, no matter how she practiced, her times failed to drop.
“To be honest, both as parents and the child, we felt like giving up at that point.”
Lin Yangxi, mother
The breakthrough came after her parents brought her to Shanghai to learn from specialist coaches. Having mastered more than 1,300 solving formulas, her speeds surged.
An Elite Standing Among All Competitors
Zhizhi’s 4.27-second average ranks fourth in the world among all competitors, male and female alike, in official World Cube Association standings. Only three speedcubers globally have recorded faster official averages: Yiheng Wang at 3.51 seconds, Xuanyi Geng at 3.67 seconds, and Yi Shen at 4.24 seconds.
Her rise also eclipses previous milestones set by other young champions. The former women’s record holder, Qixian Cao, had set a 5.97-second average in 2023 at age six, later improving to 4.98 seconds at the Start of Summer Beijing 2026 competition.
Beyond raw speed, her mother emphasizes the broader mental benefits of the discipline.
“Solving a Rubik’s Cube improves focus, memory, logical thinking, spatial awareness, and helps develop a healthy mindset toward winning and losing. It’s not just about blindly memorizing formulas, but using logical reasoning to find optimal solutions.”
Lin Yangxi, mother
Managing Pressure and Life Beyond the Cube
Life for the young record holder now moves between kindergarten classes, weekend competitions across China, and media attention at home. After solving the puzzle during her record-setting runs, footage showed her placing the cube down, clapping her hands, and pumping a fist in the air.
Back in Chengdu, her newfound fame has reached her classroom. Older students have crowded her room with scraps of paper seeking autographs. Her mother notes that while Zhizhi was once an introverted child, the recognition has brought her profound self-assurance.
Despite the intense practice schedule, her parents harbor no illusions about a permanent competitive career in speedcubing. Their focus remains on cultivating grit and perseverance.
“We just wanted to accompany her as far as she could go. It can forge some grit and perseverance in her, which will serve her well in whatever she chooses to pursue in the future.”
Lin Yangxi, mother