The crowd went silent. Cameras zoomed in. All eyes were on one boy. At the 2025 Rubik’s Cube World Championship in Seoul, South Korea, something incredible happened. An 11-year-old from China shocked the world with his speed.

The Record-Breaking Moment

Yiheng Wang, just 11 years old, set a new record with an average solving time of 4.23 seconds, the fastest-ever average in the final round of a Rubik’s Cube World Championship. He competed in the 3x3x3 cube event, the tournament’s main category.

The finals involved five solves. The fastest and slowest were dropped, and the average of the remaining three was taken. Yiheng’s times ranged from 3.96 seconds to 4.51 seconds, impressing fans, judges, and fellow competitors.

“I just wanted to enjoy the competition. I didn’t expect to win. This feels like a dream,” Yiheng said after his win.

His Journey to the Top

Yiheng began cubing at just six years old. His parents noticed his talent early and supported him in local and national events. He gained attention in 2023 by breaking the Chinese under-10 record.

His coach, Li Hua, shared:

“Yiheng is very focused. He studies each scramble like a puzzle. He’s never nervous.” Yiheng trains for hours daily and has worked hard to reach the world stage.

A Global Competition

Over 800 speedcubers from more than 50 countries took part in the 2025 championship. Yiheng stood out with his calm demeanor and blazing-fast hands. His performance has now earned him a place in cubing history, and he’s just getting started.