At just nine years old, Cao Qixian, a girl from Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, has already made a name for herself in the world of speedcubing.

At the World Cubing Association (WCA) Summer Beijing 2026 on May 2, she broke the women's average world record in the 3x3 speed solving event with a time of 4.68 seconds. It marked her 12th time setting a women's world record.

Cao first came to public attention at the WCA Rubik's Cube International Open in Singapore in 2023. At six years old, competing abroad for the first time, she surprised many with an average time of 5.97 seconds, then a women's world record.

Cao Qixian solves a Rubik's Cube at the Rubik's WCA World Championship 2025 in Seattle. [Photo/IC]

Cao's another breakthrough moment came at the Rubik's WCA World Championship 2025 in Seattle, where she was the only female competitor to reach the final round. Facing the world's top cubers, she stayed composed, ultimately managing to finish fourth. In the preliminary round, she averaged 5.07 seconds, another women's world record.

Despite the records and attention, Cao keeps pushing herself. "My next goal is an average of 4.5 seconds," she said.

She is now training for the WCA Oceanic Championship 2026 this December and the World Championship in Sweden next year. "I want to keep representing my country on the international stage," she said.