Max Park

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Max Park
American speedcuber Max Park walking up to compete against Tymon Kolasiński in the Kewbz UK Championship 2022
Park in 2022
Born (2001-11-28) November 28, 2001 (age 22)
Cerritos, California, U.S.
Known forSpeedcubing
Medal record
Representing  United States
Speedcubing
WCA World Championship
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
3×3×3 2 0 0
4×4×4 1 0 1
5×5×5 2 0 1
6×6×6 1 0 1
7×7×7 2 0 0
3×3×3 One-Handed 2 0 0

Record Total

10 0 3
Gold medal – first place 2017 Paris 3×3×3
Gold medal – first place 2017 Paris 3×3×3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 4×4×4
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 5×5×5
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 6×6×6
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 7×7×7
Gold medal – first place 2019 Melbourne 3×3×3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2023 Incheon 3×3×3
Gold medal – first place 2023 Incheon 5×5×5
Gold medal – first place 2023 Incheon 7×7×7
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Paris 5×5×5
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Paris 6×6×6
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Incheon 4×4×4
US National Championship/CubingUSA Nationals
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
3×3×3 3 0 2
4×4×4 5 0 0
5×5×5 4 1 0
6×6×6 3 2 0
7×7×7 3 1 1
3×3×3 One-Handed 4 0 1
Total 22 4 4
Gold medal – first place 2016
Portland, OR
 4×4×4
Gold medal – first place 2017
Fort Wayne, IN
 3×3×3
Gold medal – first place 2017
Fort Wayne, IN
 4×4×4
Gold medal – first place 2017
Fort Wayne, IN
 5×5×5
Gold medal – first place 2017
Fort Wayne, IN
 3×3×3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
 3×3×3
Gold medal – first place 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
 4×4×4
Gold medal – first place 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
 5×5×5
Gold medal – first place 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
 6×6×6
Gold medal – first place 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
 7×7×7
Gold medal – first place 2018
Salt Lake City, UT
 3×3×3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 4x4x4
Gold medal – first place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 5x5x5
Gold medal – first place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 6x6x6
Gold medal – first place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 7x7x7
Gold medal – first place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 3x3x3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 3x3x3 One-Handed
Gold medal – first place 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
 3x3x3
Gold medal – first place 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
 4x4x4
Gold medal – first place 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
 5x5x5
Gold medal – first place 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
 6x6x6
Gold medal – first place 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
 7x7x7
Gold medal – first place 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
 3x3x3 One-Handed
Silver medal – second place 2016
Portland, OR
 5×5×5
Silver medal – second place 2016
Portland, OR
 6×6×6
Silver medal – second place 2016
Portland, OR
 7×7×7
Silver medal – second place 2017
Fort Wayne, IN
 6×6×6
Bronze medal – third place 2016
Portland, OR
 3×3×3
Bronze medal – third place 2016
Portland, OR
 3×3×3 One-Handed
Bronze medal – third place 2017
Fort Wayne, IN
 7×7×7
Bronze medal – third place 2019
Baltimore, MD
 3x3x3

Max Park (born November 28, 2001) is a Korean-American

3×3×3
solving and world record holder for the 3x3x3 single solve at 3.13 seconds set on June 11, 2023. Along with Feliks Zemdegs, he is one of only two speedcubers ever to win the World Cube Association World Championship twice, which he did in 2017 and 2023. He is currently tied for 3rd place for the world record average of five 3×3×3 solves (by WCA standards) at 4.86 seconds, set on February 6, 2023.[1] Park first held this record from April 23, 2017 to June 28, 2017 and was the only cuber other than Feliks Zemdegs to hold the record between September 27, 2009 and June 5, 2021.[2] Park has also set multiple world records in speedsolving in the 4×4×4, 5×5×5, 6×6×6, and 7×7×7 cubes as well as the 3×3×3 One-Handed event.[3] As of September 2, 2023, he has won 479 total events in World Cube Association competitions.

Early life

Max Park was born on November 28, 2001 in

autism. His parents, Miki and Schwan Park, were told that he might need lifelong care.[6] Park's motor skills were severely impaired, so his mother, taught Max how to solve a Rubik's cube that he had taken interest in. He began learning speedcubing and participating in competitions. At his second competition, he came in first place in the 6×6×6 event. He made progress in social development by waiting in a queue and mirroring body language on a podium at competitions.[7]

Career

Park previously held the world record for an average of five 3×3×3 solves with a 4.86-second average set at Marshall Cubing September 2022 on the 24th of the month. He is still the North American record holder and is fourth in the world. Currently the only peopled ranked ahead of him are Yiheng Wang (4.48 average), Ruihang Xu and Tymon Kolasinski (both with a 4.84 average).

Park holds the 3×3×3 world record single of 3.13 set at Pride in Long Beach 2023 on June 11, 2023.[8][9]

Park was the first person to achieve a sub-10 second one-handed average in competition, with an average of 9.99 seconds on January 13, 2018 at Thanks Four The Invite 2018. He currently holds the world record one-handed average with an average of 8.62 seconds, set at Nub Open Mission Viejo 2023. Park also holds the world record single for one-handed solving at 6.20 seconds set at Marshall Middle Slice 2022, breaking one of the longest-standing cubing world records which was held by Feliks Zemdegs.[10][11]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 4×4×4 solves with 15.83 seconds and 19.38 seconds, set at Nub Open Yucaipa 2024 and Arizona Speedcubing Spring 2023 respectively.[12]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 5×5×5 solves with 32.52, set at DFW Megacomp 2024, and 35.94 seconds, set in the finals round of UCSD Winter 2023.[13] Prior to Park's first 5×5×5 record, the records for single and the average of five 5×5×5 solves had been held by Feliks Zemdegs, who had improved the two records a combined 32 times.[14] Park is the only cuber other than Zemdegs to have set either 5×5×5 record since August 11, 2012.[14]

Park holds the world record for the single 6×6×6 solve: 59.74 seconds set at CubingUSA Southeast Championship 2022. He also holds the North American record average of three solves, 1:07.11, set at the WCA World Championship 2023, and the result is currently ranked second in the world.[15]

Park holds the world record for single and mean of three 7×7×7 solves: 1 minute, 35.68 seconds set at Marshall Cubing September 2022, and 1 minute, 39.68 seconds, set at Nub Open Yucaipa 2024.[16]

Park is the 3-time US National Champion in 3×3×3, 5-time champion in 4×4×4, 4-time champion in 5×5×5, 3-time champion in 6×6×6, 3-time champion in 7×7×7, and 4-time champion in 3×3×3 One-Handed.

At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Park won 3×3×3 and 3×3×3 one-handed and placed 3rd in 5×5×5 and 6×6×6.[17]

At the World Championship 2019 in Melbourne, Park won 4×4×4, 5×5×5, 6×6×6, 7×7×7, and 3×3×3 one-handed. Park finished 4th in the 3×3×3 final after winning the first three rounds.[18]

At the World Championship 2023 in Incheon, Park won 3x3x3, 5×5×5, and 7×7×7. Park is one of two people to have won multiple World Champions (albeit non-consecutively); the other is Feliks Zemdegs.[19]

Park has official results in 2x2x2 and Square-1, but he has not competed in either of those events since 2014 and 2013 respectively, and he only focuses on 3x3x3, one-handed, and big cubes.

Park is one of the five cubers to have achieved at least five sub-6 second averages of five 3×3×3 solves in competition.[20]

In 2020, Max appeared in the Netflix documentaryThe Speed Cubers, a film about speedcubing largely focusing on Feliks Zemdegs, Max Park, and their speedcubing journeys.

Park won the WCA World Championship 2023 in Incheon with an average time of 5.31 seconds, beating world record average holder Yiheng Wang, who placed second, and European record holder Tymon Kolasinski, who placed third.[21]Park also finished third in the 4x4x4 event, first in the 5x5x5 event, and first in the 7x7x7 event. He also broke the 6x6x6 world record average (now beaten by Seung-Hyuk Nahm) in the first round of the competition.

Notable WCA rankings

Event Format Time (sec) World ranking[22]
3×3×3 Single 3.13 1st
Avg5 4.86 4th
4×4×4 Single 15.83 1st
Avg5 19.38 1st
5×5×5 Single 32.52 1st
Avg5 35.94 1st
6×6×6 Single 59.74 1st
Mo3 1:07.11 2nd
7×7×7 Single 1:35.68 1st
Mo3 1:39.68 1st
3×3×3
One-Handed 		Single 6.20 1st
Avg5 8.62 1st

Official personal records

Listed below are Max Park's personal records achieved in official World Cube Association competitions.[23]

Event Type Time Competition
3x3x3 Single 3.13 Pride in Long Beach 2023
Average 4.86 Marshall Cubing September 2022
2x2x2 Single 2.88 World Rubik's Cube Championship 2013
Average 4.31 Antelope Valley Fall 2013
4x4x4 Single 15.83 Nub Open Yucaipa 2024
Average 19.38 Arizona Speedcubing Spring 2023
5x5x5 Single 32.52 DFW Megacomp 2024
Average 35.94 UCSD Winter 2023
6x6x6 Single 59.74 CubingUSA Southeast Championship 2022
Average 1:07.11 Rubik's WCA World Championship 2023
7x7x7
 Single 1:35.68 Marshall Cubing September 2022
Average 1:39.68 Nub Open Yucaipa 2024
3x3x3 One-handed Single 6.20 Marshall Middle Slice 2022
Average 8.62 Nub Open Mission Viejo 2023
Square-1 Single 52.69 Caltech Spring Open 2013
Average 1:10.20 San Diego Summer Splash 2013

Sponsorships

Park has previously been sponsored by GANCUBE, a leading Chinese brand that sponsors many other notable cubers, including Feliks Zemdegs. He is currently sponsored by Rubik's and TheCubicle, an American speedcubing store that is currently one of the largest cube stores in the world. His current main 3x3 cube is the X-Man Tornado Version 3 Flagship Edition. On April 26, 2024, Max Park accepted an additional sponsorship from

Prime Hydration
, officially becoming a Prime® Athlete along with other famous athletes.

References

  1. ^ World Cube Association - 3×3×3 Records
  2. ^ World Cube Association - 3×3×3 History
  3. ^ World Cube Association - Max Park Records
  4. ^ McDuff, Tammye (June 16, 2016). "Cerritos Resident is North America's #1 Rubik's Cube Champion". Cerritos Community News. Hews Media Group. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "The Speed Cubers | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  6. ^ Rapson, Jenny (July 29, 2017). "They Said Autism Meant He'd Need Life-Long Care—Then He Got a Rubik's Cube". For Every Mom. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  7. ^ "How Rubik's Cubes helped Park with his autism and become a record breaker". Guinness World Records. April 1, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  8. ^ "WCA Live". live.worldcubeassociation.org. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  9. ^ Winslow, Levi (June 13, 2023). "New Rubik's Cube World Record Gets Set At An Absurd Three Seconds". Kotaku. Yahoo Finance. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  10. ^ World Cube Association - 3×3×3 One-Handed History
  11. ^ World Cube Association - 3×3×3 One-Handed Records
  12. ^ "World Cube Association - 4×4×4 Average Records". World Cube Association. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  13. ^ World Cube Association - 5×5×5 Records
  14. ^ a b World Cube Association - 5×5×5 History
  15. ^ World Cube Association - 6×6×6 Records
  16. ^ World Cube Association - 7×7×7 Records
  17. ^ World Cube Association - World Championship 2017 podiums
  18. ^ World Cube Association - Max Park at World Championship 2019
  19. ^ World Cube Association - [1]
  20. ^ World Cube Association - 3×3×3 Average Results
  21. ^ "WCA Live". live.worldcubeassociation.org. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  22. ^ World Cube Association - Max Park rankings
  23. ^ "Max Park". World Cube Association. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
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