People · Australia
James Lam
3×3 · top 2.2% of 288,433 all-time · competing since November 2018 · 2018LAMJ01
James Lam has been competing for 8 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 7.66, set at Odd Day in Sydney 2019, puts him in the top 2.2% of the 288,433 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 233rd in Australia. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 19 competitions since November 2018, he has put 488 official solves on the record across nine events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 10% around a typical one, steadier than 95% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 10.60 in November 2018 to 7.66, a 28% improvement. James has entered 19 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 | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 7.66 | 10.48 | top 2.2% | 233 / 11,943 | |
| 2×2 | 2.39 | 3.96 | top 7.9% | 601 / 8,727 | |
| 4×4 | 37.18 | 40.50 | top 9.0% | 233 / 3,108 | |
| 5×5 | 1:12.94 | 1:18.91 | top 13.9% | 191 / 1,412 | |
| Megaminx | 1:13.96 | 1:31.22 | top 18.0% | 216 / 1,313 | |
| 6×6 | 2:18.32 | 2:33.36 | top 19.8% | 116 / 667 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 19.80 | 23.29 | top 20.0% | 458 / 2,685 | |
| Pyraminx | 6.55 | 10.67 | top 24.3% | 1,236 / 6,109 | |
| 7×7 | 4:17.75 | 4:39.61 | top 37.0% | 190 / 540 |
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
- 28 Mar 2026Four personal bests in one day at NxNjoyable Sydney Gathering 2026.
- 21 Jan 2023Four personal bests in one day at Cubing at The Cube Saturday 2023.
- 10 Nov 2019First sub-10 3×3: 7.66 at Odd Day in Sydney 2019.
- 11 Nov 2018First competition: Odd Day in Sydney 2018. A 11.67 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Take Your Time Sydney 2026 · 12 Sep 2026 — 1 personal best set
- Tramsheds X: Winter Saturday 2026 · 29 Aug 2026 — 1 personal best set
- NxNjoyable Sydney Gathering 2026 · 28 Mar 2026 — 4 personal bests set
- Cubing at The Cube 2026 · 10 Jan 2026 — 1 personal best set
- Tramsheds VII: Spring Saturday 2025 · 8 Nov 2025 — 1 personal best set
- Tramsheds VI: Winter Saturday 2025 · 23 Aug 2025
- Tramsheds IV: Summer Saturday 2025 · 8 Feb 2025
- Tramsheds II: May Saturday 2024 · 18 May 2024
- Tramsheds I: Newcomer Saturday 2024 · 2 Mar 2024
- Warm Up Sydney Saturday 2023 · 15 Jul 2023
- Cubing at The Cube Saturday 2023 · 21 Jan 2023 — 4 personal bests set
- Marrickville Big Cubes Day 2022 · 15 Oct 2022 — 2 personal bests set
- Sydney Winter Saturday 2022 · 27 Aug 2022 — 2 personal bests set
- NSW Open 2022 · 11 Jun 2022
- Tramsheds Series Sunday 2022 · 13 Feb 2022
- Marrickville Autumn Saturday 2021 · 22 May 2021 — 2 personal bests set
- Enjoyable Sydney Gathering 2020 · 7 Mar 2020
- Odd Day in Sydney 2019 · 10 Nov 2019 — 1 personal best set
- Odd Day in Sydney 2018 · 11 Nov 2018 — 1 personal best set
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.
- Kent Thomson — met in 83 rounds, finished ahead 15 times
- Bryan Eng — met in 75 rounds, never finished ahead
- Peri Le Dain — met in 71 rounds, finished ahead 15 times
Next targets
- A sub-6 3×3 single — 1,419 people have one; it is 1.66 away.
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 9,039 people have one; it is 0.39 away.
Targets move as he improves.