6-year-old Chinese girl sets new world record in solving Rubik’s Cube

Six-year-old Cao Qixian of China set the new women’s world record of solving the 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube in 5.97 seconds at the World Cube Association (WCA) Rubik’s Cube International Open in Singapore in September.

Cao’s average time of 5.97 seconds after five rounds made her the champion and the first female Rubik’s Cube solver to solve it within six seconds.

“We never thought that she would be breaking the world record so soon,” Cao’s mother Qian Jingjing told China Media Group (CMG). “For two to three days since we came home, it felt like we were still in a dream.”

“Cao Qixian is such a gifted speed cuber, I’m so happy for her,” Cao’s coach Wang Yinghao said.

“I like speed cubing,” Cao said. “I have been practicing two to three hours a day every day.”

Cao became interested in solving the Rubik’s Cube when she was two and saw it in her cousin’s class. Having been learning from her cousin for a year, Cao had her own coach and began to work even harder on it.

“She was stuck at 12 seconds when she tried to speed to 10 seconds for three months,” Qian recalled. “She practices a lot but made no progress and almost gave up.”

In order to help Cao improve her performance, her whole family began to learn speed cubing. They even participated in adult competitions.

Qian told CMG that practicing speed cubing enabled her daughter to grow more focused and calmer when she was dealing with other issues in life. Cao’s next target is to challenge the women’s single-time record.