People · South Africa
Patrick Ellis
3×3 · top 6.3% of 284,439 all-time · competing since June 2016 · 2016ELLI03
Patrick Ellis has been competing for 10 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 9.56, set at Crazy Cubing Centurion 2023, puts him in the top 6.3% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 62nd in South Africa. Until November 2007, no official 3×3 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 9 competitions since June 2016, he has put 432 official solves on the record across twelve events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 12% around a typical one, steadier than 61% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 28.93 in June 2016 to 9.56, a 67% improvement. Patrick 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 | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 9.56 | 11.48 | top 6.3% | 62 / 2,164 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 14.51 | 16.90 | top 7.1% | 20 / 467 | |
| 4×4 | 36.12 | 42.04 | top 7.8% | 23 / 491 | |
| 2×2 | 2.42 | 4.33 | top 8.1% | 78 / 1,510 | |
| 5×5 | 1:11.10 | 1:21.58 | top 12.4% | 16 / 221 | |
| 6×6 | 2:12.92 | 2:35.85 | top 16.8% | 11 / 84 | |
| Pyraminx | 5.62 | 8.13 | top 17.2% | 126 / 946 | |
| 7×7 | 3:32.56 | 4:01.55 | top 20.6% | 9 / 69 | |
| Megaminx | 1:47.61 | 1:56.21 | top 39.0% | 65 / 266 | |
| 3×3 Fewest Moves | 39 moves | 45.67 | top 44.7% | 24 / 53 | |
| 3×3 Multi-Blind | 2 of 2 cubes · 18:50 | — | early days — 1 solve | 20 / 27 | |
| 3×3 blindfolded | 4:46.23 | — | early days — 1 solve | 40 / 53 |
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
- 26 Apr 2025Seven personal bests in one day at CubingZA Nationals 2025.
- 11 Feb 2023First sub-10 3×3: 9.56 at Crazy Cubing Centurion 2023.
- 11 Feb 2023Four personal bests in one day at Crazy Cubing Centurion 2023.
- 17 May 2019Six personal bests in one day at Arnold Classic Africa 2019.
- 18 May 2018Seven personal bests in one day at Arnold Classic Africa 2018.
- 10 Sep 2017First sub-15 3×3: 12.74 at Speedcubes Johannesburg 2017.
Competitions
- CubingZA Nationals 2025 · 26 Apr 2025 — 7 personal bests set
- Pretoria Spring Afternoon 2023 · 25 Nov 2023
- Crazy Cubing Centurion 2023 · 11 Feb 2023 — 4 personal bests set
- Arnold Classic Africa 2019 · 17 May 2019 — 6 personal bests set
- Arnold Classic Africa 2018 · 18 May 2018 — 7 personal bests set
- Gauteng Autumn 2018 · 24 Mar 2018 — 2 personal bests set
- Speedcubes Johannesburg 2017 · 10 Sep 2017 — 4 personal bests set
- Johannesburg 2016 · 27 Nov 2016 — 4 personal bests set
- Johannesburg Open 2016 · 19 Jun 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 his.
- Ruben Grobler — met in 90 rounds, finished ahead 4 times
- Shivaan Harichander — met in 68 rounds, finished ahead 19 times
- Marike Faught — met in 65 rounds, finished ahead 49 times
Next targets
- A sub-8 3×3 single — 7,931 people have one; it is 1.56 away.
- A sub-12 3×3 one-handed single — 2,187 people have one; it is 2.51 away.
Targets move as he improves.