People · United States
Michael Gao
3×3 · top 2.3% of 284,439 all-time · competing since December 2023 · 2023GAOM02
Michael Gao has been competing for 3 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 7.70, set at Austin Spring Open 2025, puts him in the top 2.3% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,341st in the United States. Until July 2008, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 9 competitions since December 2023, he has put 279 official solves on the record across eleven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 15% around a typical one; 87% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 10.68 in December 2023 to 7.70, a 28% improvement. Michael has entered nine competitions, more competitions than 91% 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 | 7.70 | 9.18 | top 2.3% | 1,341 / 59,724 | |
| 2×2 | 1.60 | 2.76 | top 2.6% | 1,011 / 40,951 | |
| Skewb | 2.73 | 5.10 | top 3.8% | 587 / 18,907 | |
| Pyraminx | 3.38 | 9.33 | top 5.0% | 1,301 / 28,708 | |
| 4×4 | 37.70 | 40.51 | top 9.5% | 1,413 / 19,072 | |
| Clock | 7.01 | 8.87 | top 10.9% | 843 / 8,927 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 16.86 | 20.59 | top 12.2% | 1,592 / 15,683 | |
| Megaminx | 2:26.43 | — | top 59.5% | 4,471 / 7,841 | |
| 3×3 Fewest Moves | 44 moves | 48.00 | early days — 3 solves | 1,310 / 2,040 | |
| 5×5 | 2:49.80 | — | early days — 2 solves | 6,635 / 9,401 | |
| Square-1 | 1:35.19 | — | early days — 2 solves | 6,524 / 6,743 |
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 May 2025Three personal bests in one day at Austin Spring Open 2025.
- 11 Jan 2025Three personal bests in one day at Austin Cubing Limits Winter 2025.
- 28 Apr 2024First sub-10 3×3: 9.71 at DFW Cubing Spring 2024.
- 28 Apr 2024Seven personal bests in one day at DFW Cubing Spring 2024.
- 2 Dec 2023First competition: Texas Championship 2023. A 10.68 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Round Rock Splash & Solve 2026 · 4 Apr 2026
- Georgetown Side Events Weeknight 2025 · 19 Dec 2025
- Austin Spring Open 2025 · 10 May 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- Austin Cubing Limits Winter 2025 · 11 Jan 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- Don't DNF Denton 2024 · 7 Dec 2024
- Austin NxN 2024 · 2 Nov 2024 — 2 personal bests set
- DFW Cubing Spring 2024 · 28 Apr 2024 — 7 personal bests set
- DFW Quiet Qualifier 2024 · 27 Apr 2024 — 2 personal bests set
- Texas Championship 2023 · 2 Dec 2023 — 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.
- Joshua Gao — met in 61 rounds, finished ahead 18 times
- Ryan Pilat — met in 61 rounds, finished ahead once
- Tristan Patrick — met in 53 rounds, finished ahead 24 times
Next targets
- A sub-6 3×3 single — 1,376 people have one; it is 1.70 away.
- A sub-1 2×2 single — 1,032 people have one; it is 0.60 away.
Targets move as he improves.