People · New Zealand
Nathan Zhao
2×2 · top 3.2% of 189,179 all-time · competing since July 2025 · 2025ZHAO25
Nathan Zhao has been competing for a year. His best event is the 2×2: a personal-best single of 1.72, set at Auckland Winter Open 2026, puts him in the top 3.2% of the 189,179 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 94th in New Zealand. Until February 2008, no official 2×2 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 7 competitions since July 2025, he has put 228 official solves on the record across ten events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 19% around a typical one; 99% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. His 3×3 best has come down from 18.00 in July 2025 to 10.32, a 43% improvement. Nathan has entered seven competitions, more competitions than 88% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | 1.72 | 3.82 | top 3.2% | 94 / 1,627 | |
| 3×3 | 10.32 | 13.32 | top 8.5% | 185 / 2,145 | |
| 4×4 | 43.67 | 48.65 | top 16.7% | 121 / 745 | |
| Pyraminx | 5.57 | 9.40 | top 16.9% | 243 / 1,149 | |
| 5×5 | 1:24.38 | 1:33.03 | top 22.9% | 95 / 364 | |
| Clock | 10.41 | 13.45 | top 27.0% | 111 / 319 | |
| 7×7 | 4:36.25 | 5:04.60 | early days — 3 solves | 70 / 126 | |
| Skewb | 8.64 | 11.75 | top 46.1% | 337 / 670 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 32.64 | 46.48 | top 52.7% | 286 / 607 | |
| 6×6 | 4:01.87 | — | early days — 2 solves | 109 / 150 |
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
- 20 Jun 2026Three personal bests in one day at Auckland Winter Open 2026.
- 9 May 2026Five personal bests in one day at Welcome Back Hamilton 2026.
- 25 Oct 2025First sub-15 3×3: 11.44 at New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2025.
- 25 Oct 2025Six personal bests in one day at New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2025.
- 20 Sep 2025Three personal bests in one day at Beachside Auckland 2025.
- 16 Aug 2025Three personal bests in one day at 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025.
Competitions
- Dualling in Milford 2026 · 26 Sep 2026 — 2 personal bests set
- Auckland Winter Open 2026 · 20 Jun 2026 — 3 personal bests set
- Welcome Back Hamilton 2026 · 9 May 2026 — 5 personal bests set
- New Zealand Cubing Decathlon 2025 · 25 Oct 2025 — 6 personal bests set
- Beachside Auckland 2025 · 20 Sep 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025 · 16 Aug 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- Coping in Auckland 2025 · 5 Jul 2025
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.
- Brandon Harris — met in 49 rounds, finished ahead twice
- Lachlan Gibson — met in 44 rounds, finished ahead twice
- Dylan Heerikhuisen — met in 40 rounds, finished ahead once
Next targets
- A sub-1 2×2 single — 1,050 people have one; it is 0.72 away.
- A sub-10 3×3 single — 21,606 people have one; it is 0.32 away.
Targets move as he improves.