People · United States
Joben Nelson
2×2 · top 1.1% of 189,179 all-time · competing since November 2022 · 2022NELS07
Joben Nelson has been competing for 4 years. His best event is the 2×2: a personal-best single of 1.21, set at Concordia Turning Fall 2024, puts him in the top 1.1% of the 189,179 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 459th in the United States. Until November 2008, no official 2×2 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 11 competitions since November 2022, he has put 580 official solves on the record across eleven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 13% around a typical one; 55% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 10.71 in November 2022 to 8.18, a 24% improvement. Joben has entered eleven competitions, more competitions than 93% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | 1.21 | 2.35 | top 1.1% | 459 / 41,674 | |
| 3×3 | 8.18 | 9.70 | top 3.1% | 1,813 / 60,666 | |
| Pyraminx | 3.01 | 3.98 | top 3.7% | 988 / 29,168 | |
| 4×4 | 34.36 | 38.40 | top 6.2% | 972 / 19,354 | |
| Skewb | 3.55 | 4.48 | top 8.1% | 1,261 / 19,164 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 15.02 | 16.40 | top 8.2% | 1,111 / 15,900 | |
| Megaminx | 57.70 | 1:04.98 | top 8.8% | 628 / 8,026 | |
| Square-1 | 13.08 | 18.48 | top 12.1% | 855 / 6,846 | |
| Clock | 7.34 | 9.46 | top 12.3% | 963 / 9,172 | |
| 5×5 | 1:11.72 | 1:22.83 | top 13.0% | 1,007 / 9,537 | |
| 6×6 | 4:00.41 | 4:43.85 | top 65.7% | 2,580 / 4,262 |
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
- 10 Oct 2026Six personal bests in one day at Concordia Fall Foliage 2026.
- 29 Aug 2026Three personal bests in one day at 4x4 Off US-40 IL 2026.
- 10 Jan 2026Four personal bests in one day at Concordia Turning Winter 2026.
- 1 Aug 2025Eight personal bests in one day at CubingUSA Great Lakes Championship 2025.
- 7 Dec 2024Three personal bests in one day at Concordia Turning Fall 2024.
- 9 Dec 2023First sub-10 3×3: 9.40 at Concordia Turning Fall 2023.
Competitions
- Concordia Fall Foliage 2026 · 10 Oct 2026 — 6 personal bests set
- 4x4 Off US-40 IL 2026 · 29 Aug 2026 — 3 personal bests set
- Concordia Turning Winter 2026 · 10 Jan 2026 — 4 personal bests set
- CubingUSA Great Lakes Championship 2025 · 1 Aug 2025 — 8 personal bests set
- Rubik's WCA World Championship 2025 · 3 Jul 2025 — 1 personal best set
- Concordia Turning Fall 2024 · 7 Dec 2024 — 3 personal bests set
- Concordia Turning Spring 2024 · 16 Mar 2024 — 1 personal best set
- Concordia Turning Fall 2023 · 9 Dec 2023 — 4 personal bests set
- Cubing for Autism Missouri 2023 · 6 May 2023 — 3 personal bests set
- KC Krazy Cubing Winter 2023 · 11 Feb 2023 — 5 personal bests set
- Concordia Turning 2022 · 5 Nov 2022 — 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.
- Edward Vakula — met in 102 rounds, finished ahead 16 times
- Josiah Bell — met in 84 rounds, finished ahead 50 times
- Trenton Cuzick — met in 83 rounds, finished ahead 53 times
Next targets
- A sub-1 2×2 single — 1,050 people have one; it is 0.21 away.
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 8,101 people have one; it is 0.18 away.
Targets move as he improves.