SPEEDCUBER

Girl, 6, Sets New Rubik’s Cube World Record

State media says she is the first female to average solving the puzzle in under 4.5 seconds.

A six-year-old girl from China has broken the women’s world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube, according to state media. Lian Yunzhi, dubbed “Speedcuber,” solved the puzzle in just over four seconds. State broadcaster CCTV said Yunzhi is “the first female speedcuber to average under 4.5 seconds”. The Chengdu native broke the record twice this month at two World Cube Association-certified competitions in Wuhan and Guangzhou. After her quick achievement, video shows the six-year-old placing the cube on the table, clapping her hands, and pumping a victorious fist in the air. Yunzhi was introduced to the Rubik’s Cube in an extracurricular class. Her mother, Lin Yangxi, “gradually realized” that cubing was an “excellent activity for fostering a child’s comprehensive abilities,” and her daughter started practicing the puzzle for two to three hours each day. Yunzhi has mastered more than 1,300 Rubik’s Cube solving algorithms, her mother said. “Solving a Rubik’s Cube improves focus, memory, logical thinking, spatial awareness, and helps develop a healthy mindset toward winning and losing,” Lin added.