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The Middle Three
People → China → Chenlai Zhao

People · China

Chenlai Zhao

3×3 · top 0.18% of 284,439 all-time · competing since February 2020 · 2020ZHAO05

Chenlai Zhao has been competing for 7 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 5.28, set at Martigny Open 2025, puts him in the top 0.18% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 73rd in China. Until April 2015, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 29 competitions since February 2020, he has put 1,109 official solves on the record across eleven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 84% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 12.74 in February 2020 to 5.28, a 59% improvement. Chenlai has entered 29 competitions, more competitions than 98% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 0.18% of 284,439 all-time
5.28
signature single · Martigny Open 2025
1,109
official solves on the record
11%
solve-to-solve spread · steadier than 84% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingChina
3×35.286.71
top 0.18%73 / 28,153
2×20.882.43
top 0.35%27 / 15,796
4×425.4428.90
top 0.82%72 / 5,926
5×549.9055.95
top 1.7%69 / 2,816
3×3 one-handed11.4414.44
top 2.3%192 / 5,922
Pyraminx3.166.98
top 4.2%507 / 10,224
6×61:52.762:04.48
top 8.3%180 / 1,349
7×73:00.033:20.72
top 10.6%214 / 1,261
Megaminx1:08.771:21.40
top 14.9%436 / 1,678
Skewb10.0710.95
top 55.4%3,074 / 5,004
3×3 blindfolded5:34.95—
early days — 1 solve1,109 / 1,183

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

Basel Open 2020: 12.74Ticino Open Sunday 2021: 8.68Swisscubing Cup I 2022: 6.65Swisscubing Cup II 2022: 7.26Lake Constance Cubing 2022: 7.45Swisscubing Cup III 2022: 6.87Rubik's WCA European Championship 2022: 7.27Swisscubing Cup IV 2022: 6.52Swisscubing Cup Finale 2022: 7.40Chääswürfel 2022: 7.85Bündner Open 2024: 7.01Swiss Nationals 2024: 6.73Lonay Cube 2024: 6.39Swisscubing Cup Final 2024: 6.62Chääswürfel 2024: 5.76Newchâtel 2025: 5.55Martigny Open 2025: 5.28Swiss Nationals 2025: 6.23Swisscubing Cup IV 2025: 5.60La Côte Open 2025: 5.61Neyruz Open 2025: 6.05LaFilanda Speedcubing 2025: 5.84Swisscubing Cup I 2026: 5.71Bursins Goes Fast 2026: 5.79Lonay Euro Qualifier 2026: 6.09Ecublens Open 2026: 5.72RésoLucens 2026: 5.405.2812.7415 Feb 202029 Aug 2026

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-5 3×3 single — 344 people have one; it is 0.28 away.
  • A sub-25 4×4 single — 588 people have one; it is 0.44 away.

Targets move as he improves.