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Max Park

Max Park (born November 28, 2001) is an American speedcuber of Korean descent renowned for his exceptional proficiency in solving Rubik's Cubes and other twisty puzzles, holding numerous world records under the (WCA). Diagnosed with moderate to severe at age two, Park began cubing at age nine as a therapeutic activity encouraged by his parents, which helped improve his motor skills and social interactions. Widely regarded as one of the greatest speedcubers in history, he has achieved dominance across multiple puzzle sizes, including the current 3x3x3 single-solve world record of 3.13 seconds set in 2023, as well as records in larger cubes like the 4x4x4, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7. Park's competitive career, which spans over 200 WCA-sanctioned events and more than 7,500 solves since 2012, is marked by unprecedented consistency and innovation in techniques. He became the youngest winner of the WCA in 2017 at age 15, securing gold in the 3x3x3 event with an average of 6.85 seconds in , France, and repeated the feat in 2023 in Jeju, South Korea, solidifying his status as one of only two cubers to win the title twice. By 2025, Park had amassed 90 world records, including recent ones in 6x6x6 (single: 57.69 seconds) and 4x4x4 (average: 18.74 seconds), alongside 646 gold medals across various events. Beyond competitions, Park serves as a and has inspired the neurodiverse community through his story of overcoming early challenges, as featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary . His rivalry and friendship with fellow champion have been highlighted in collaborations, emphasizing collaborative spirit in the sport. In 2025, he won the U.S. with a 3x3x3 average of 5.65 seconds, continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible in .

Early life and background

Childhood and autism diagnosis

Max Park was born on November 28, 2001, in , to Korean-American parents Schwan and Miki Park. At age two, Park was diagnosed with moderate to severe spectrum disorder, exhibiting symptoms such as delayed speech development, poor , challenges in understanding non-verbal cues like , and limited fine motor skills that prevented him from performing simple tasks like unscrewing a water bottle cap. His parents enrolled him in to address these developmental challenges, but professionals predicted that he would require lifelong assistance for daily living and social integration. Determined to promote his , Schwan and Miki Park actively supported Park's growth by seeking out interventions tailored to his needs and encouraging environments that could nurture his emerging abilities, despite the initial prognosis.

Discovery of Rubik's Cube and initial development

Max Park was introduced to the Rubik's Cube at the age of 9 by his mother, Miki Park, as a therapeutic tool to address challenges associated with his autism diagnosis, including difficulties with fine motor skills and socialization. His parents, seeking ways to improve his hand strength and engagement during therapy sessions, provided the cube as a distraction and skill-building activity, noting that Max initially struggled with basic tasks like opening water bottles. Engaging with the cube quickly demonstrated therapeutic benefits, enhancing Max's fine motor skills, focus, hand-eye coordination, and even social interactions by encouraging and in family settings. What began as a solitary pursuit transformed into a deep passion, with his parents observing marked improvements in his ability to concentrate on structured tasks amid the unpredictability of social environments. Schwan Park, Max's father, later reflected that the activity provided a predictable outlet with finite solutions, helping to build emotional . Without formal instruction, Max achieved his first major milestone by solving the standard 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube within just two days of receiving it, showcasing innate problem-solving abilities. He soon progressed to larger cubes, such as the 6×6×6, demonstrating rapid cognitive growth and sustained interest that his parents credited with fostering greater emotional expressiveness and desire to communicate. This early development phase marked a turning point, as cubing not only aided skill acquisition but also sparked a lifelong dedication, with his family noting enhanced confidence and social awareness tied directly to these non-competitive experiences.

Competitive cubing career

Early competitions and progression

Max Park entered the competitive scene in 2012 at the age of 10, registering with the (WCA) under the ID 2012PARK03. His debut event was Nisei Week 2012 in , , where he primarily focused on the 3×3×3 speedsolving event, posting an average of 20.56 seconds across five solves and achieving a best single of 17.84 seconds, which placed him 23rd out of 45 competitors. This marked his initial foray into official WCA-sanctioned competitions following self-directed practice at home. Demonstrating rapid adaptation, Park competed in his second event, the Diamond Bar Open 2012 just two months later, where his 3×3×3 times improved significantly; he recorded a first-round average of 16.60 seconds (best 14.88) to secure 9th place and advance, followed by a second-round average of 19.01 seconds (best 15.94). In a standout performance for a novice, he won the 6×6×6 Cube final with an average of 3:05.50 seconds (best 2:57.66), outperforming more experienced participants and ranking his times among the top 100 globally at the time. By 2013, Park's 3×3×3 proficiency had progressed to consistent sub-15 second averages, reflecting dedicated training and growing familiarity with competition formats. At Nisei Week 2013, he achieved an average of 14.51 seconds (best 12.71), placing 13th and qualifying for further rounds. That year, he also advanced to the second round of the World Rubik's Cube Championship 2013 in , , with a 14.98-second average (best 13.86), competing against 167 others despite his youth. These results highlighted his quick ascent from local events to international exposure. Park's competitive trajectory expanded to national levels in subsequent years, with participation in U.S. Nationals beginning in 2014. There, at age 12, he set a North American record in the 4×4×4 Cube with a 29.06-second average, establishing himself as a rising talent in larger puzzles while continuing to hone 3×3×3 skills. By 2016, his 3×3×3 averages had dipped below 10 seconds, culminating in a 6th-place finish at U.S. Nationals with a final average of 7.74 seconds (best 6.43). This period of steady improvement—from regional meets like opens to prominent national tournaments—underscored his transition from beginner to elite junior competitor.

Major championships and titles

Max Park first gained international prominence at the 2017 World Championship in Paris, France, where he claimed the gold medal in the 3×3×3 Cube event with an average of 6.85 seconds, marking him as the youngest world champion in that category at age 15. He also earned gold in the 3×3×3 one-handed event at the same competition. Following this breakthrough, Park dominated domestic competitions, securing multiple titles at CubingUSA Nationals. In 2018, he defended his championships from the previous year by winning the 4×4×4 Cube, 5×5×5 Cube, and 3×3×3 one-handed events, while also taking gold in 3×3×3 blindfolded. His success continued with victories in the 3×3×3 Cube at the 2023 and 2025 CubingUSA Nationals (averages of 5.52 seconds and 5.65 seconds, respectively). On the global stage, Park captured the overall title at the 2021 World Cup, defeating top competitors in a multi-event format that highlighted his versatility across puzzle sizes. He repeated his 3×3×3 triumph at the 2023 event in , , with an average of 5.31 seconds. At the 2025 in , , Park excelled in larger puzzles, winning gold in both the 6×6×6 Cube (average 1:11.92) and 7×7×7 Cube (average 1:43.23) events, securing finals placements that underscored his dominance in big cube categories. These achievements contributed to his status as a two-time WCA World Champion in the 3×3×3 event, shared only with , alongside consistent top-3 finishes in one-handed solving at major tournaments.

World records and achievements

3×3×3 and one-handed records

Max Park set the world record for the fastest single solve of the 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube with a time of 3.13 seconds on June 11, 2023, during the first round of the Pride in Long Beach 2023 competition in Long Beach, California. This achievement surpassed the previous record of 3.47 seconds held by Yusheng Du since 2018 and marked Park's first world record in the event. He achieved this under official World Cube Association (WCA) regulations, using a standard speedcube and inspection time of 15 seconds. In the 3×3×3 average of five solves, Park tied the at 4.86 seconds on September 25, 2022, at Marshall Cubing September 2022, with individual solves of 4.62, 4.78, 5.68 (DNF), 5.19, and 4.50 seconds (discarding the DNF). This record was later broken, but as of 2025, Park holds the North American record average of 4.86 seconds in the event. His performance highlighted his consistency in competitive settings, contributing to his overall dominance in North American rankings. For the one-handed 3×3×3 variant, Park has held multiple s in both single and average categories. He established the average of 9.99 seconds on , 2018, at T4TI 2018, becoming the first to achieve a sub-10-second one-handed , with solves including 8.27 (DNF), 9.89, 10.27 (DNF), and 9.82 seconds. In 2021, he improved the to 9.34 seconds at the Missoula Fall 2021 competition. For the single solve, Park set the at 6.20 seconds on August 28, 2022, during Marshall Middle Slice 2022, demonstrating advanced finger dexterity and turning precision under the added constraint of using only one hand. These records were set at WCA-sanctioned events, emphasizing Park's versatility across solving modalities. Park continued to push boundaries in one-handed solving, setting another of 8.62 seconds on August 26, 2023, at Summer 2023. As of November 2025, following the WCA 2025, he ranks second globally in one-handed 3×3×3 with 7.94 seconds.

Big cube records (4×4×4 to 7×7×7)

Max Park has demonstrated remarkable proficiency in solving larger Rubik's Cubes, holding multiple world records in the to 7×7×7 categories as of late 2025. His entry into big cube record-breaking began in with initial achievements at major WCA events, evolving into a series of consistent improvements through subsequent competitions up to the 2025 season. In the 4×4×4 Cube event, Park reclaimed the average of 18.74 seconds in October 2025 at the Mission Viejo Fall 2025 competition, edging out competitors like Tymon Kolasiński to reassert his lead in the discipline. Park's dominance extends to the 6×6×6 Cube, where he established the single of 57.69 seconds in April 2025 during the Burbank Big Cube event, marking his third sub-minute solve in the category. He further solidified this in October 2025 by setting the average of 1:05.04 at the Nub Open Trabuco Hills Fall competition. For the 7×7×7 Cube, Park achieved multiple world records throughout 2025, including sub-two-minute solves that highlighted his precision. In October 2025 at the Nub Open Trabuco Hills Fall event, he recorded a single time of 1:33.48 seconds and an average of 1:36.86 seconds, with the difference between his best single and the mean remaining under 3.5 seconds for exceptional consistency.

Rankings and recognition

Official WCA rankings

Max Park maintains dominant positions in the (WCA) official rankings for larger cube events. As of November 2025, he holds the number one worldwide ranking in the 4×4×4 Cube (average: 18.74 seconds), 6×6×6 Cube (average: 1:05.04), and 7×7×7 Cube (average: 1:36.86) categories, while ranking second in the 5×5×5 Cube (average: 34.76). In the 3×3×3 Cube average of five, Park is ranked third globally, with a personal best time of 4.86 seconds that also establishes the North American record. Additionally, he ranks fifth worldwide in the 3×3×3 one-handed average (7.94 seconds). Historically, Park has achieved peak rankings of number one in the 3×3×3 one-handed event since 2021, during which period he held the world record multiple times before it was surpassed. He has consistently placed in the top ten overall in rankings across multiple events, reflecting sustained excellence in competitive performances. Regionally, Park dominates North American standings, holding the top continental rank in most events including 3×3×3, , 5×5×5, 6×6×6, 7×7×7, and one-handed 3×3×3. His North American records, such as the 4.86-second 3×3×3 , underscore this leadership. WCA rankings are determined by competitors' best official results in sanctioned events, primarily using the average of five solves for events like 3×3×3 and larger cubes, with single attempts also factored for certain metrics; historical world records contribute to overall recognition but do not directly alter ranking positions.

Sponsorships and media impact

Max Park has formed professional partnerships with several brands in the cubing and consumer goods sectors. In April 2024, he signed a sponsorship deal with Prime Hydration, a sports and brand co-founded by and , marking one of the first major non-cubing endorsements for a speedcuber. He is also sponsored by Rubik's, the iconic puzzle brand owned by Games, and by SpeedCubeShop, a leading retailer of products that provides him with equipment and support. Previously, Park endorsed GAN Cube, a prominent manufacturer of high-performance cubes, renewing his agreement for 2021 and 2022 after beginning to use their products in 2015. Park's media presence has amplified his profile beyond competitive cubing, particularly through features highlighting his and achievements. In June 2023, he was profiled in an segment titled "Meet Max Park, the world's fastest solver," which explored how cubing served as a therapeutic outlet amid his autism diagnosis at age two. He has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for multiple categories, including records in 3x3x3 solving and larger cubes, recognizing his sustained excellence. A 2019 article detailed how aided his development with autism, while a April 2025 video feature on their platforms, narrated by his father Schwan Park, chronicled the family's journey and cubing's role in his progress. Through these platforms, Park has advocated for autism awareness, sharing his personal story to inspire others facing neurodiverse challenges. His openness has positioned him as a role model for individuals with autism in competitive pursuits. Videos of his record-breaking solves on YouTube, such as his 3.13-second 3x3x3 world record, have amassed millions of views, broadening cubing's appeal and demonstrating the potential for extraordinary focus and skill in neurodiverse communities.

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