People · United States
Ethan Lim
3×3 · top 4.0% of 284,439 all-time · competing since January 2023 · 2023LIME01
Ethan Lim has been competing for 4 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 8.64, set at SacCubing XIX 2025, puts him in the top 4.0% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 2,277th in the United States. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 16 competitions since January 2023, he has put 411 official solves on the record across ten events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 89% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 16.85 in January 2023 to 8.64, a 49% improvement. Ethan has entered 16 competitions, more competitions than 96% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 8.64 | 10.85 | top 4.0% | 2,277 / 59,724 | |
| Skewb | 2.88 | 4.53 | top 4.4% | 679 / 18,907 | |
| Pyraminx | 4.02 | 6.68 | top 7.8% | 1,983 / 28,708 | |
| 2×2 | 2.56 | 4.34 | top 9.5% | 3,749 / 40,951 | |
| 4×4 | 40.91 | 48.78 | top 13.2% | 1,960 / 19,072 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 17.32 | 21.83 | top 13.4% | 1,727 / 15,683 | |
| Clock | 9.35 | 10.55 | top 21.8% | 1,678 / 8,927 | |
| 5×5 | 1:43.67 | 1:47.37 | top 38.1% | 3,052 / 9,401 | |
| Square-1 | 26.31 | 33.16 | top 42.0% | 2,730 / 6,743 | |
| 6×6 | 4:23.74 | 4:36.34 | early days — 3 solves | 2,881 / 4,196 |
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
Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 14 Sep 2024Three personal bests in one day at SacCubing XVIII 2024.
- 18 Jul 2024Four personal bests in one day at Rubik's WCA North American Championship 2024.
- 30 Mar 2024First sub-10 3×3: 9.42 at Bay Area Speedcubin' 59 LIVE - SSF 2024.
- 20 Jan 2024Six personal bests in one day at SacCubing XVI 2024.
- 6 Aug 2023Five personal bests in one day at Bay Area Speedcubin' 50 - Berkeley 2023.
- 20 May 2023First sub-15 3×3: 13.01 at SacCubing XIV 2023.
Competitions
- Rubik's WCA World Championship 2025 · 3 Jul 2025 — 1 personal best set
- SacCubing XIX 2025 · 19 Jan 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- SacCubing XVIII 2024 · 14 Sep 2024 — 3 personal bests set
- Rubik's WCA North American Championship 2024 · 18 Jul 2024 — 4 personal bests set
- Bay Area Speedcubin' 63 - Atherton 2024 · 22 Jun 2024 — 1 personal best set
- Bay Area Speedcubin' 59 LIVE - SSF 2024 · 30 Mar 2024 — 2 personal bests set
- BASC 56 - Bay Area Side Events Day 2024 · 24 Feb 2024
- SacCubing XVI 2024 · 20 Jan 2024 — 6 personal bests set
- Bay Area Speedcubin' 54 Live - SSF 2023 · 5 Nov 2023
- Bay Area Speedcubin' 53 - Berkeley 2023 · 14 Oct 2023
- Bay Area Speedcubin' 52 - Belmont 2023 · 1 Oct 2023 — 1 personal best set
- SacCubing XV 2023 · 17 Sep 2023 — 1 personal best set
- Bay Area Speedcubin' 50 - Berkeley 2023 · 6 Aug 2023 — 5 personal bests set
- SacCubing XIV 2023 · 20 May 2023 — 2 personal bests set
- Cubing in the Valley 2023 · 8 Apr 2023 — 1 personal best set
- Berkeley Winter B 2023 · 22 Jan 2023
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.
- Kenji Gipson-Nahman — met in 81 rounds, finished ahead 8 times
- Rahul Bollini — met in 73 rounds, finished ahead 25 times
- David Karalli (داود قراعلي) — met in 70 rounds, finished ahead 31 times
Next targets
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 0.64 away.
- A sub-2 Skewb single — 1,013 people have one; it is 0.88 away.
Targets move as he improves.