Tommy Cherry Lowers 3x3 Blindfolded Average World Record to 13.97
Tommy Cherry set a 13.97-second 3x3 blindfolded average world record at Hefei August Open 2026, lowering the benchmark by 0.08 seconds.
American speedcuber Tommy Cherry has lowered the official 3x3 Blindfolded average world record to 13.97 seconds. Cherry set the mark in the final at Hefei August Open 2026, held on August 15 in Hefei, Anhui, China. The World Cube Association (WCA) records the result as a world record average and lists Cherry first in the final. (worldcubeassociation.org)
The result trims 0.08 seconds from the previous 14.05 benchmark. Guinness World Records identifies that earlier average as a mark Cherry shared with Australia’s Charlie Eggins, while Cherry’s WCA record history now shows 13.97 as the new average record. (guinnessworldrecords.com) (worldcubeassociation.org)
The result gives Cherry a second 3x3 Blindfolded world record this summer. His 11.56-second result from Mid-Atlantic Quiet Championship 2026 remains the official single world record, so he now owns both the fastest individual 3x3 blindfolded solve and the fastest official average. (worldcubeassociation.org)
One format detail matters here. Since January 1, 2026, WCA 3x3 Blindfolded rounds use Best of 5 for competition rankings, based on a competitor’s best attempt. The WCA still recognizes Average of 5 rankings and records separately. Cherry’s 13.60 single won the Hefei final; his 13.97 average is the record attached to the same five-solve set. (worldcubeassociation.org)
The five attempts behind 13.97
Cherry’s final contained five successful attempts: 13.68, 14.48, 13.60, 13.75, and 15.87 seconds. For the average, the fastest and slowest attempts are discarded, leaving 13.68, 14.48, and 13.75. Those three counting times average to 13.97. (worldcubeassociation.org)
That calculation is why the 13.60 single is not the headline record from this round. It was the quickest attempt in the set, but it was excluded from the average. Likewise, the 15.87 was not allowed to pull the result down. What remains is a three-solve measure of sustained performance rather than a record built around one exceptional result.
The WCA results list Cherry first in both rounds by best single: 13.99 in the first round and 13.60 in the final. The same table reports averages of 14.95 and 13.97, but those averages do not determine placement under the Best of 5 format. (worldcubeassociation.org)
A record set in Hefei
Hefei August Open 2026 was a one-day competition at the Xili Hotel, organized by CubingCAT. The WCA lists 75 competitors and identifies Cherry’s 13.97 as the event’s world-record highlight. (worldcubeassociation.org)
The result also came at a compact one-day meet. Representing the United States, Cherry competed at a Chinese competition that staged 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 alongside 3x3 Blindfolded. The results show him entering those larger-cube events too, but the blindfolded final supplied the day’s record moment. (worldcubeassociation.org)
Blindfolded averages are hard to interpret from a single time alone because the five attempts can vary sharply. A record average asks a competitor to repeat the full process several times under competition conditions. Cherry’s final never rose above 15.87, and all three counting solves stayed below 14.50. That is the consistency behind a record that, on paper, moves by less than a tenth.
The average record is now separate from the single
Cherry’s 11.56 single and 13.97 average measure different achievements. The single record is the quickest complete attempt ever recorded in the event; the average record reflects three counting attempts from one five-solve set. A future competitor could beat 11.56 without affecting the average record, or produce a faster average while Cherry’s single remains untouched.
His WCA profile gives the recent history some useful perspective. The 14.05 average record came at the 2024 European Championship, while his 11.56 single was set at Mid-Atlantic Quiet Championship 2026. The new Hefei average is the first average record below 14 seconds in the WCA’s record-history table. (worldcubeassociation.org)
For spectators, the distinction is worth keeping in view as results from late-summer competitions arrive. The eye-catching one-off solve remains 11.56, but 13.97 is now the performance standard for a full record-caliber blindfolded set.
What cubers can watch next
The official record book now sets two clear targets: 11.56 for a single 3x3 Blindfolded solve and 13.97 for an average. Both belong to Cherry, and both appear in the WCA’s current record listings for the event. (worldcubeassociation.org)
The next meaningful development will be whether the average record moves again, not merely whether someone posts an isolated fast solve. With three counting attempts required, challengers will need the same balance of memorization, execution, and composure that carried Cherry through his final in Hefei.