Xuanyi Geng solved a 3x3 in 2.51 seconds in the second round of the Guangzhou Grand Open, a world record. The previous record was 2.76, set by Teodor Zajder in Gdańsk in February. Geng's own best before Guangzhou was 2.80. The 2.51 was the first solve of the round, and Geng averaged 3.87 across all five.
In the same round, Yang Pin Xiu of Hong Kong opened with 2.74, a national record. Before Guangzhou, Yang Pin Xiu's best single was 4.73. Four people have ever solved a 3x3 in under three seconds in competition, and two of them did it in that round. Neither won the event. Yiheng Wang took the final with an average of 4.20.
Timofei Tarasenko set four world records at two competitions in China. At the Beijing Autumn Rivalry, a 6x6 average of 1:01.76 beat the 1:03.63 Tarasenko had set in Kuala Lumpur in August. In the 7x7 final Tarasenko took both records: a 1:27.47 single, ahead of Max Park's 1:30.59 from July, and a 1:35.93 average, ahead of the 1:36.80 Tarasenko had set at Hanoi Big Cubes on 27 September. In Guangzhou, Tarasenko averaged 33.19 in the 5x5 and took that record from Tymon Kolasiński, who had set 33.73 in May. Kolasiński was in Beijing too and won the 6x6 final with a Polish record single of 59.84.
Two Asian records were set in Beijing: a 6x6 single of 1:00.08 by Seung Hyuk Nahm of Korea, and a 7x7 average of 1:38.77 by Ziyu Wu. Across the week, 40 results carried a national record, set by 26 competitors from 20 countries.
Fifty-five competitions finished in the week, across 28 countries. 3,597 people competed, 679 of them for the first time, and between them they improved 3,628 personal best singles. Guangzhou had the largest field, with 497 competitors.
Leo Alanen and Aarni Salakari of Finland have shared 1,031 rounds at 50 competitions since September 2022. At KirkkoNxNummi 2026 in Kirkkonummi on Sunday 4 October they shared 17 rounds across seven events, from the 2x2 to the 7x7. Alanen finished ahead in nine and Salakari in eight. Salakari leads 511 to 510, with ten rounds in which they finished level. Before Kirkkonummi the gap was two.
The fastest 3x3 single by a first-time competitor was 7.07, by Yanchu Qiu in Guangzhou, the quickest of the 654 debutants who recorded one. It was Qiu's first solve of the first round. Qiu averaged 8.32 there and finished 51st of 477. Qiu also competed in the 2x2, Clock and Pyraminx.