People · Romania
Nicoleta Matei
3×3 · top 60.6% of 284,439 all-time · competing since March 2016 · 2016MATE01
Nicoleta Matei has been competing for 10 years. Her best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 28.94, set at Cluj Cubing Sports Festival 2026, puts her in the top 60.6% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 854th in Romania. Across 11 competitions since March 2016, she has put 179 official solves on the record across eight events. Solve to solve, her 3×3 times vary about 17% around a typical one; 95% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds hold a tighter spread. Her 3×3 best has come down from 59.16 in March 2016 to 28.94, a 51% improvement. Nicoleta 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 | Romania | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 28.94 | 33.83 | top 60.6% | 854 / 1,574 | |
| 2×2 | 8.64 | 12.50 | top 71.6% | 761 / 1,214 | |
| Pyraminx | 13.43 | 20.09 | top 75.2% | 616 / 825 | |
| 4×4 | 2:11.37 | — | top 86.3% | 430 / 578 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 1:15.39 | — | top 91.0% | 350 / 411 | |
| Skewb | 21.16 | 58.61 | top 91.3% | 364 / 401 | |
| Megaminx | 5:31.77 | — | early days — 2 solves | 230 / 243 | |
| 5×5 | 9:40.89 | — | early days — 1 solve | 225 / 225 |
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
- 13 Jun 2026First sub-30 3×3: 28.94 at Cluj Cubing Sports Festival 2026.
- 10 Aug 2019Three personal bests in one day at Constanta Cube Days 2019.
- 20 Apr 2019Four personal bests in one day at Romanian Cubing Open 2019.
- 5 Nov 2016Four personal bests in one day at U.R.A. Back to School 2016.
- 19 Mar 2016First competition: Romanian Rubik Open 2016. A 59.16 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Cluj Cubing Sports Festival 2026 · 13 Jun 2026 — 1 personal best set
- Sebes Autumn 2019 · 12 Oct 2019
- Constanta Cube Days 2019 · 10 Aug 2019 — 3 personal bests set
- Romanian Cubing Open 2019 · 20 Apr 2019 — 4 personal bests set
- Constanta Cube Days 2018 · 11 Aug 2018 — 1 personal best set
- Romanian Cubing Open 2018 · 26 May 2018 — 2 personal bests set
- Romanian Rubik Open 2017 · 27 May 2017 — 2 personal bests set
- U.R.A. Back to School 2016 · 5 Nov 2016 — 4 personal bests set
- Constanta Rubik Open 2016 · 20 Aug 2016 — 1 personal best set
- European Rubik's Cube Championship 2016 · 15 Jul 2016 — 1 personal best set
- Romanian Rubik Open 2016 · 19 Mar 2016
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 her.
- Nicolae Matei — met in 50 rounds, finished ahead 18 times · head to head
- Mihai Căpăţinescu — met in 43 rounds, never finished ahead
- Martin Fronescu — met in 41 rounds, never finished ahead
Next targets
- A sub-25 3×3 single — 149,621 people have one; it is 3.94 away.
- A sub-8 2×2 single — 126,624 people have one; it is 0.64 away.
Targets move as she improves.