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The Middle Three
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People · United States

James Costlow

2×2 · top 15.9% of 186,767 all-time · competing since February 2018 · 2018COST03

James Costlow has been competing for 9 years. His best event is the 2×2: a personal-best single of 3.14, set at Colonie Spring 2019, puts him in the top 15.9% of the 186,767 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 6,219th in the United States. Across 11 competitions since February 2018, he has put 237 official solves on the record across eight events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 15% around a typical one; 86% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 32.41 in February 2018 to 13.66, a 58% improvement. James has entered eleven competitions, more competitions than 93% of everyone who has ever competed.

2×2
best event — top 15.9% of 186,767 all-time
3.14
signature single · Colonie Spring 2019
237
official solves on the record
15%
solve-to-solve spread · wider than 86% of the field

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingUnited States
2×23.145.38
top 15.9%6,219 / 40,951
Pyraminx5.588.23
top 16.9%4,498 / 28,708
4×445.9656.14
top 19.5%2,963 / 19,072
3×313.6616.57
top 19.8%10,636 / 59,724
Skewb6.459.19
top 29.3%4,805 / 18,907
3×3 one-handed33.2543.67
top 53.9%7,470 / 15,683
Clock16.7922.58
top 54.7%4,531 / 8,927
3×3 Fewest Moves52 moves
early days — 1 solve1,683 / 2,040

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

Incredible Pencil Mania 2018: 32.41Pennsylvania 2018: 28.93Binghamton Winter 2019: 18.14Empire State Spring 2019: 19.94River Hill Spring 2019: 17.58Colonie Spring 2019: 17.91Pittsburgh Summer 2019: 16.69CubingUSA Nationals 2019: 13.66No Place For DNF Fall 2019: 15.60Loon Cubikon 2024: 14.4313.6632.4110 Feb 201824 Nov 2024

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-3 2×2 single — 26,570 people have one; it is 0.14 away.
  • A sub-5 Pyraminx single — 17,019 people have one; it is 0.58 away.

Targets move as he improves.