The six-year-old Chinese girl Lian Yunzhi set a new women's world record in solving the Rubik's Cube, completing the puzzle in just over four seconds. Lian, who practices speedcubing, broke the women's world record for the 3x3 average twice this month.
The records were set at two competitions certified by the World Cube Association in Wuhan and Guangzhou, where Lian achieved averages of 4.52 and 4.27 seconds. She achieved the averages after solving the Rubik's Cube five times, becoming the first female speedcuber to achieve an average of under 4.5 seconds.
The girl is from Chengdu, and a video released by the state broadcaster shows her wearing a red bow on her head while twisting the Rubik's Cube. After solving the puzzle, she placed the cube on the table, clapped her hands and raised her fist in the air. She is known by the nickname 'Zhizhi'.
The six-year-old was introduced to the Rubik's Cube after enrolling in a course, alongside various other extracurricular activities such as dance and music lessons. Her mother, Lin Yangxi, gradually realised that solving the puzzle was an excellent activity for stimulating the child's overall abilities and directed her focus towards it.
Lian Yunzhi has mastered over 1,300 algorithms for solving the Rub's Cube and practices for two to three hours daily. Photos from the Red Star News show her trophies displayed on a shelf in her home.
'It is not just about memorising formulas, but about using logical reasoning to find optimal solutions,' Lin Yangxi said. She added that solving the Rubik's Cube improves focus, memory, logical thinking and spatial awareness, and helps develop a healthy attitude towards winning and losing.
