Six-year-old girl from China breaks Rubik's Cube world record
What's the story
A six-year-old girl from Chengdu, China, has set a new women's world record for solving a Rubik's Cube in just over four seconds. The young "speedcuber," Lian Yunzhi, broke the women's 3x3 average world record twice this month at two World Cube Association-certified competitions in Wuhan and Guangzhou. She posted averages of 4.52 and 4.27 seconds after solving the cube five times each time.
Achievement
First female speedcuber to average under 4.5 seconds
Yunzhi, who goes by the nickname "Zhizhi," is the first female speedcuber to average under 4.5 seconds.
A video shared by state broadcaster CCTV shows her skillfully manipulating a Rubik's Cube while wearing a red gingham bow on her head.
After solving the puzzle, she places it down on the table, claps her hands, and pumps a fist in celebration of her achievement.
Early introduction
When was Lian introduced to Rubik's Cube?
Lian was first introduced to the Rubik's Cube after being enrolled in a class as a child.
This was one of many extracurricular activities she participated in, including dance and music lessons.
Her mother, Lin Yangxi, realized that cubing was an "excellent activity for fostering a child's comprehensive abilities" and shifted her focus toward it.
Training regimen
Lian mastered over 1,300 algorithms for solving Rubik's Cube
Lian has mastered over 1,300 algorithms for solving the Rubik's Cube and practices daily for two to three hours.
Her mother said that "solving a Rubik's Cube improves focus, memory, logical thinking, spatial awareness, and helps develop a healthy mindset toward winning and losing."
Lin also emphasized that it's not just about memorizing formulas but using logical reasoning to find optimal solutions.