People · Romania
Rareş Alexandru Popa
3×3 · top 17.2% of 284,439 all-time · competing since May 2017 · 2017POPA02
Rareş Alexandru Popa has been competing for 9 years. His best event is the 3×3: a personal-best single of 12.94, set at Cluj Cubing Sports Festival 2025, puts him in the top 17.2% of the 284,439 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 217th in Romania. Across 6 competitions since May 2017, he has put 212 official solves on the record across eleven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 13% around a typical one, steadier than 60% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 24.13 in May 2017 to 12.94, a 46% improvement. He has entered six competitions, more competitions than 86% 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 | 12.94 | 16.79 | top 17.2% | 217 / 1,574 | |
| Pyraminx | 7.15 | 11.05 | top 29.1% | 234 / 825 | |
| 2×2 | 4.26 | 7.05 | top 29.8% | 314 / 1,214 | |
| 4×4 | 1:07.82 | 1:17.03 | top 44.7% | 183 / 578 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 30.48 | 37.01 | top 47.7% | 164 / 411 | |
| Skewb | 10.69 | 19.09 | top 59.1% | 218 / 401 | |
| 5×5 | 2:22.41 | 2:33.74 | top 62.2% | 108 / 225 | |
| Megaminx | 2:39.70 | — | top 65.9% | 125 / 243 | |
| Square-1 | 52.42 | 58.28 | top 78.2% | 115 / 158 | |
| 7×7 | 8:27.79 | — | early days — 1 solve | 77 / 95 | |
| 6×6 | 6:41.43 | — | early days — 3 solves | 102 / 128 |
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
- 14 Jun 2025Three personal bests in one day at Cluj Cubing Sports Festival 2025.
- 20 Apr 2019First sub-15 3×3: 13.88 at Romanian Cubing Open 2019.
- 20 Apr 2019Five personal bests in one day at Romanian Cubing Open 2019.
- 2 Feb 2019Five personal bests in one day at Transilvania Cubing Open 2019.
- 26 May 2018First sub-20 3×3: 15.88 at Romanian Cubing Open 2018.
- 26 May 2018Seven personal bests in one day at Romanian Cubing Open 2018.
Competitions
- Cluj Cubing Sports Festival 2025 · 14 Jun 2025 — 3 personal bests set
- Romanian Cubing Open 2019 · 20 Apr 2019 — 5 personal bests set
- Transilvania Cubing Open 2019 · 2 Feb 2019 — 5 personal bests set
- Romanian Cubing Open 2018 · 26 May 2018 — 7 personal bests set
- Oradea Cubing Open 2018 · 3 Feb 2018 — 6 personal bests set
- Romanian Rubik Open 2017 · 27 May 2017
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.
- Mihai Căpăţinescu — met in 57 rounds, finished ahead 4 times
- András Szigeti — met in 57 rounds, finished ahead once
- Martin Fronescu — met in 53 rounds, never finished ahead
Next targets
- A sub-12 3×3 single — 39,535 people have one; it is 0.94 away.
- A sub-6 Pyraminx single — 25,870 people have one; it is 1.15 away.
Targets move as he improves.