A six-year-old girl solved a Rubik’s Cube in under five seconds twice in three days, breaking the world record both times.
Lian Yunzhi set an average of 4.52 seconds at a competition in Wuhan, China. Three days later, she lowered it to 4.27 seconds at her next event in Guangzhou. The new mark makes her the only female competitor to record an average below 4.5 seconds.
Each average comes from five solves, with the fastest and slowest times removed before the remaining three are averaged.
The Two Marks
Lian’s first record came at the Wuhan competition. She averaged 4.52 seconds on the standard 3x3x3 cube, which is the puzzle most people know. That time beat the previous fastest recorded women’s average.
Three days later, at Guangzhou, Lian went faster. Her new average was 4.27 seconds. That mark stands for the fastest recorded women’s average for the standard puzzle. The two times are separated by only three days, and both were recorded on the same standard 3x3x3 cube.
The gap between the two times is small but real. Her first mark of 4.52 seconds was already a world record for women. Her second mark of 4.27 seconds beat her own first result.
How the Averages Work
The World Cube Association requires five solves per attempt. The fastest and slowest times are removed, and the remaining three are averaged.
That system matters. It means the records are not about a single lucky solve. They are about consistent performance over five attempts.
The five solve average is the standard for official competitions. It removes the randomness of a one-off solve and rewards repeatability. The system applies to all competitors, male and female, and is used across the world.
The Record Before Her
Before Lian’s first record, the fastest recorded women’s average was 4.68 seconds. That mark was set by Qixian Cao earlier in 2026.
Lian beat that mark by 0.41 seconds. Her 4.52-second average at Wuhan was already faster than Cao’s. Her 4.27-second average at Guangzhou beat it again.
The gap is small, but in speedcubing it is a real difference. Every hundredth of a second counts, and Lian has now recorded an average below 4.68 seconds. The previous record stood for months before she beat it at Wuhan, and then again three days later at Guangzhou.
The Men’s Records
The overall records for the same standard 3x3x3 cube are faster still. Xuanyi Geng holds the average record at 3.71 seconds.
Teodor Zajder holds the record for a single solve at 2.76 seconds. That is a separate category, though. Zajder’s one solve cannot be directly compared with Lian’s five-solve average.
The men’s records are faster because the categories are different. A single solve can be done quickly, but a five-solve average rewards a different kind of consistency. The two records apply to different ways of measuring the same puzzle.
What She Beat
Lian’s 4.27-second average is a benchmark for women. It is the fastest recorded average for a female competitor on the standard puzzle.
This means Lian is the only female competitor to record an average below 4.5 seconds. The record now stands at 4.27 seconds, and it was set by her at Guangzhou.
The record also applies to the fastest recorded women’s average. Lian’s 4.52-second average at Wuhan beat the previous mark of 4.68 seconds. Her 4.27-second average at Guangzhou beat it again. She lowered the mark in three days.
The Speedcuber’s Craft
Solving a Rubik’s Cube takes practice. There is a method and a process to follow. That method requires concentration, and the fastest competitors now finish in seconds.
Speedcubers have spent decades perfecting the craft. The field has produced competitors who finish in seconds. Lian has now joined that group, and she did it while still a girl of six years old.
Her marks are not just fast. They are fast for a girl who is six years old.
The Comparison
| Record | Time | Where | By Whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s average | 4.68 seconds | Earlier in 2026 | Qixian Cao |
| Lian’s first mark | 4.52 seconds | Wuhan | Lian Yunzhi |
| Lian’s second mark | 4.27 seconds | Guangzhou | Lian Yunzhi |
The Impression
Lian’s achievement is notable. She is six years old, and she is already competing at a world-class level. Her marks show real skill and consistency.
The records she has set are benchmarks for the sport. They will stand until someone beats them, and the next competitor to do so will have to match her consistency over five solves.
That is the kind of pace that makes speedcubing exciting. The records keep moving, and the competitors keep pushing.
The Verdict
Lian’s achievement is remarkable. She has set two world records for women in Rubik’s Cube solving in three days, and she did it at the age of six.
The marks she set are benchmarks for the sport. They will stand until someone beats them, and the next competitor to do so will have to match her consistency over five solves.
That is the kind of pace that makes speedcubing exciting. The records keep moving, and the competitors keep pushing.
This is an impressive speed for a challenging puzzle. The story is already doing what every record story should do: it makes people watch the next competition with real interest.
Lian has already beaten the previous record twice in three days. She has also beaten the fastest recorded women’s average.
Whether she aims to lower her mark again remains to be seen. For now, the record stands at 4.27 seconds, set by a girl who is six years old.
Source material: “Six-year-old girl breaks Rubik’s Cube world record twice in three days,” Dexerto.
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