Decrease article font size Increase article font size A six-year-old girl has set a new female world record by completing Rubik’s cubes at an average pace of less than five seconds per cube. China’s Lian Yunzhi broke the record earlier this month with an average time of 4.52 seconds in a World Cube Association-certified competition in the Chinese city of Wuhan. 5:20 How fast can you solve a Rubik’s cube? Previous video Next video Story continues below advertisement He later improved his time to 4.27 seconds in another contest in Guangzhou, the Associated Press reported, citing state media outlet CCTV. She became the only female speedcuber to average under 4.5 seconds, she said. Get daily national news Get daily Canadian news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the day’s top stories. Lian is listed on the World Cube Association website as the record holder for the fastest female average time to solve the 3x3x3 cube. Footage of the young record holder, shared by Chinese state media, wearing a red headband with a large bow during the Wuhan competition, shows her tiny hands racing against the clock to solve the algorithmic puzzle in less than five seconds. She smiled proudly and clapped after one attempt took only about 3.54 seconds. More on Trending More Videos Story continues below ad According to the Associated Press, CCTV said Lian first attempted to complete a Rubik’s cube when he was four years old, at which time it took him 90 seconds to solve it. He initially didn’t want to compete, but became more excited as his skills improved and he began to gain recognition. That encouraged her to train harder and persevere through challenges, she said. “She was an introverted child. Now she is very confident wherever she goes,” said her mother, Lin Yangxi, as reported by the AP. CCTV said Lian has memorized more than 1,300 formulas that help her solve the puzzle and spends two to three hours a day practicing. Her parents also took her to Shanghai to learn from the best coaches, she added. While Lian holds the record for the fastest woman to complete the puzzle, she is not the fastest overall; that award belongs to Teodor Zadjer of Poland, who solved a single 3x3x3 Rubik’s cube in 2.76 seconds.—with files from the Associated Press © 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.