Sunday 6 September 2026 Rebuilt nightly from the WCA's official results · export of 6 September 2026 · About
The Middle Three
People → United States → Michael Sams

People · United States

Michael Sams

3×3 · top 63.6% of 284,439 all-time · competing since September 2014 · 2014SAMS01

Michael Sams has been competing for 12 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 30.61, set at Slow N Steady Winter 2016, puts him in the top 63.6% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 38,036th in the United States. Across 5 competitions since September 2014, he has put 33 official solves on the record across three events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 18% around a typical one, an early reading from 5 counted rounds. That figure sets aside his 2 DNFs. His 3×3 best has come down from 54.88 in September 2014 to 30.61, a 44% improvement. Michael has entered five competitions, more competitions than 83% of everyone who has ever competed.

3×3
best event — top 63.6% of 284,439 all-time
30.61
signature single · Slow N Steady Winter 2016
33
official solves on the record

Standing, event by event

vs everyone ever ranked
EventPB singlePB averageAll-time standingUnited States
3×330.6139.86
top 63.6%38,036 / 59,724
2×29.4712.12
top 75.7%31,367 / 40,951
Pyraminx16.4820.11
top 86.4%25,457 / 28,708

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

River Hill Summer 2014: 54.88Slow n Steady Fall 2014: 57.20US Nationals 2015: 39.48Slow n Steady Fall 2015: 37.37Slow N Steady Winter 2016: 30.6130.6157.206 Sep 201430 Jan 2016

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-30 3×3 single — 177,856 people have one; it is 0.61 away.
  • A sub-8 2×2 single — 126,624 people have one; it is 1.47 away.

Targets move as he improves.