Lian Yunzhi, a Chinese girl aged six, set a new female world record for the Rubik’s Cube by averaging 4.27 seconds across five solves. Breaking the record twice in September, she became the first female competitor to average under 4.5 seconds. Lian practices up to three hours daily and knows over 1300 algorithms.
A six-year-old girl from China has stunned the speedcubing world after setting a new women’s 3×3 Rubik’s Cube average world record, completing five solves with an astonishing average of just 4.27 seconds. Lian Yunzhi, affectionately known as “Zhizhi”, achieved the feat at a World Cube Association (WCA)-certified competition, according to Chinese state media.
What makes her achievement even more remarkable is that the six-year-old broke the women’s average record twice in September. She first recorded an average of 4.52 seconds at a competition in Wuhan before improving that mark to 4.27 seconds in Guangzhou. Her latest performance also made her the first female speedcuber to average under 4.5 seconds, according to CCTV.
A video shared by CCTV shows Lian sitting at a table with the cube in front of her. Wearing a red gingham bow, she rapidly twists and turns the puzzle before placing it down after completing the solve. She then claps and pumps her fist in celebration.
A post shared on X highlighted her record-breaking performances and noted that she has mastered more than 1,300 algorithms while training for two to three hours every day.
Watch the viral video here:
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Lian was introduced to cubing through an extracurricular class. Her mother, Lin Yangxi, initially enrolled her in several activities, including dance and music, before recognising her daughter’s interest and ability in speedcubing. Lin said she “gradually realised” that cubing was an “excellent activity for fostering a child’s comprehensive abilities”.
The young cuber’s mother also highlighted the skills she believes the activity develops. “Solving a Rubik’s Cube improves focus, memory, logical thinking, spatial awareness, and helps develop a healthy mindset toward winning and losing,” Lin said. She added: “It’s not just about blindly memorising formulas, but using logical reasoning to find optimal solutions.”
Photos shared by local media reportedly show Lian’s collection of trophies at home. Her achievement has since drawn widespread attention online, with her remarkable speed making the six-year-old a viral sensation among puzzle and speedcubing enthusiasts.
Note: the 4.27-second figure refers to Lian’s five-solve average, rather than one individual solve.