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The Middle Three
People → China → Canlin Zhai (翟灿林)

People · China

Canlin Zhai (翟灿林)

3×3 · top 2.9% of 284,439 all-time · competing since January 2016 · 2016ZHAI01

Canlin Zhai (翟灿林) has been competing for 11 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 8.06, set at Shantou Open 2017, puts him in the top 2.9% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,049th in China. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 4 competitions since January 2016, he has put 92 official solves on the record across three events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 87% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 12.53 in January 2016 to 8.06, a 36% improvement. Canlin has entered four competitions, more competitions than 78% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 2.9% of 284,439 all-time
8.06
signature single · Shantou Open 2017
92
official solves on the record
11%
solve-to-solve spread · steadier than 87% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingChina
3×38.0610.47
top 2.9%1,049 / 28,153
2×22.573.88
top 9.6%1,445 / 15,796
3×3 one-handed15.9518.17
top 10.1%985 / 5,922

Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.

The line so far

Dongguan Open 2016: 12.53Shantou Open 2017: 8.06Dongguan Open 2018: 9.08Dongguan Summer 2019: 8.938.0612.5331 Jan 20164 Aug 2019

Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.

The story so far

Competitions

Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.

The circuit

The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.

Next targets

  • A sub-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 0.06 away.
  • A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.57 away.

Targets move as he improves.