Max Park

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Max Park
Born (2001-11-28) 28 November 2001 (age 20)
Cerritos, California, United States
Known forRubik's Cube Speedsolving
Medal record
Representing  United States
Speedcubing
WCA World Championship
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
3x3x3 1 0 0
4x4x4 1 0 0
5x5x5 1 0 1
6x6x6 1 0 1
7x7x7 1 0 0
3x3x3 One-Handed 2 0 0
Total 7 0 2
Gold medal – first place 2017 Paris 3x3x3
Gold medal – first place 2017 Paris 3x3x3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 4x4x4
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 5x5x5
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 6x6x6
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 7x7x7
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 3x3x3 One-Handed
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Paris 5x5x5
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Paris 6x6x6
US National Championship
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
3x3x3 2 0 1
4x4x4 3 0 0
5x5x5 2 1 0
6x6x6 1 2 0
7x7x7 1 1 1
3x3x3 One-Handed 2 0 1
Total 11 4 3
Gold medal – first place 2016 Portland, OR 4x4x4
Gold medal – first place 2017 Fort Wayne, IN 3x3x3
Gold medal – first place 2017 Fort Wayne, IN 4x4x4
Gold medal – first place 2017 Fort Wayne, IN 5x5x5
Gold medal – first place 2017 Fort Wayne, IN 3x3x3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 3x3x3
Gold medal – first place 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 4x4x4
Gold medal – first place 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 5x5x5
Gold medal – first place 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 6x6x6
Gold medal – first place 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 7x7x7
Gold medal – first place 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 3x3x3 One-Handed
Silver medal – second place 2016 Portland, OR 5x5x5
Silver medal – second place 2016 Portland, OR 6x6x6
Silver medal – second place 2016 Portland, OR 7x7x7
Silver medal – second place 2017 Fort Wayne, IN 6x6x6
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Portland, OR 3x3x3
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Portland, OR 3x3x3 One-Handed
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Fort Wayne, IN 7x7x7

Max Park is an American Rubik's Cube speedsolver who formerly held the world record average of five 3x3x3 solves (by WCA traditions), 5.32 seconds, set on November 7th, 2021 at Missoula 2021.[1] It was broken on the 19th December 2021 by Tymon Kolasiński of Poland with an average of 5.09 seconds at Cubers Eve Lubartów 2021. Prior to Parks' average, the record had been held by Ruihang Xu of China, who got an average of 5.48 seconds on June 5, 2021 at Wuhan Open 2021.[2] Park was previously the only cuber, other than Feliks Zemdegs, to have set the record since 27 September 2009 until Ruihang Xu broke it on 5 June 2021.[2] He has also set multiple world records in solving the 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 cubes, and 3x3x3 one-handed.[2] He has won 297 events across many Rubik's cube competitions.[3][4]

Early life[]

Max Park was born on 28th of November in the year 2001 in Cerritos, California to Schwan and Miki Park.[4][5] When he was two years old, he was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism and doctors told his parents that he would likely require assistance for the rest of his life.[3] As Max struggled with social and fine motor skills, speedcubing has helped him develop them.[6] When Park was 10 years old, he started going to Rubik's cube competitions regularly. According to his parents, Park began cubing because of his autism rather than just a hobby. It wasn't long before he really began to excel in cubing; at his second competition, he had came in first place in the 6x6x6 event.[3]

Career[]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 5x5x5 solves: 34.94 seconds and 39.65 seconds, set at Houston Winter 2020 and CubingUSA Western Championship 2019 respectively.[7] Prior to Park's first 5x5x5 record, the records for single and average of five 5x5x5 solves had been held by Feliks Zemdegs of Australia, who had improved the two records a combined 32 times.[8] Park is the only cuber other than Zemdegs to have set either 5x5x5 record since 11 August 2012.[8]

Park holds the world record for average of five 3x3x3 solves with one hand: 9.42 seconds, set on 16 September 2018 at Berkeley Summer 2018.[9] Park was the first person to achieve a sub-10 second one-handed average in competition, with an average of 9.99 seconds on 13 January 2018 at Thanks Four The Invite 2018. Park also holds the world record single for one-handed solving at 6.82 seconds set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 20 2019, breaking the longest standing cubing world record which was held by Feliks Zemdegs.[10]

Park holds the world records for single and mean of three 6x6x6 solves: 1 minute, 9.51 seconds and 1 minute, 15.90 seconds, respectively, both set on January 25, 2020 at Houston Winter 2020.[11]

Park holds the world records for single and mean of three 7x7x7 solves: 1 minute, 40.89 seconds and 1 minute, 46.57 seconds, set at Cubing Nationals 2019 and Houston Winter 2020 respectively.[12]

Park formerly held the world record for average of five Rubik's Cube solves: 5.32 seconds, set at Missoula 2021. Park holds the world record for average of five 4x4x4 solves: 21.11 seconds, set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 21 2019. he hold the world record single for the 4x4x4 solve: 16.86, set at CubingUSA Western Championship 2021

Park is the 2-time US National Champion in 3x3x3, 3-time champion in 4x4x4, 2-time champion in 5x5x5, 2018 champion in 6x6x6, 2018 champion in 7x7x7, and 2-time champion in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Park won 3x3x3 and 3x3x3 one-handed and placed 3rd in 5x5x5 and 6x6x6.[13]

At the World Championship 2019 in Melbourne, Park won 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, and 3x3x3 One-Handed. Park finished 4th in the 3x3x3 final after winning the first three rounds.[14]

Park is one of two cubers to have solved the 3x3x3 in less than 5 seconds in competition at least five times,[15] and one of the two cubers to have achieved at least five sub-6 second averages of five 3x3x3 solves in competition.[16]

Park has autism, and has used cubing to develop his social and fine motor skills.[3][4]

In 2020, Max appeared in the Netflix documentary The Speed Cubers.

Official rankings[17][]

Event Type Time (min:sec) World Ranking
3x3x3 Single 4.40 9th
Average of 5 (Ao5) 5.32 2nd
4x4x4 Single 16.86 1st
Ao5 20.94 1st
5x5x5 Single 34.92 1st
Ao5 39.49 1st
6x6x6 Single 1:09.51 1st
Ao5 1:15.90 1st
7x7x7 Single 1:40.89 1st
Ao5 1:46.57 1st
3x3x3
One-Handed 		Single 6.82 1st
Ao5 9.34 1st

References[]

  1. ^ World Cube Association - 3x3x3 Records
  2. ^ a b c World Cube Association - 3x3x3 History
  3. ^ a b c d Rapson, Jenny (2017-07-29). "They Said Autism Meant He'd Need Life-Long Care—Then He Got a Rubik's Cube". For Every Mom. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  4. ^ a b c McDuff, Tammye (2016-06-16). "Cerritos Resident is North America's #1 Rubik's Cube Champion". Cerritos Community News. Hews Media Group. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. ^ "The Speed Cubers | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  6. ^ "How Rubik's Cubes helped Max Park with his autism and become a record breaker". Guinness World Records. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  7. ^ World Cube Association - 5x5x5 Records
  8. ^ a b World Cube Association - 5x5x5 History
  9. ^ World Cube Association - 3x3x3 One-Handed Records
  10. ^ World Cube Association - 3x3x3 One-Handed History
  11. ^ World Cube Association - 6x6x6 Records
  12. ^ World Cube Association - 7x7x7 Records
  13. ^ World Cube Association - World Championship 2017 podiums
  14. ^ World Cube Association - Max Park at World Championship 2019
  15. ^ World Cube Association - 3x3x3 Most Sub-X Solves
  16. ^ World Cube Association - 3x3x3 Average Results
  17. ^ World Cube Association - Max Park rankings
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