Zhen Chen Sets First Sub-7 One-Handed World Record Average
Zhen Chen set the first sub-seven 3x3 one-handed average, a 6.99 at Wuhu Open 2026 that cut 0.73 seconds from the world record.
China’s Zhen Chen set the first official sub-seven-second average in 3x3 one-handed speedcubing on July 25, recording 6.99 seconds at Wuhu Open 2026 in Wuhu, Anhui. The World Cube Association now lists the result as the one-handed average world record, 0.73 seconds faster than the previous mark of 7.72. (worldcubeassociation.org)
The breakthrough closed an unusual record day across two countries. Earlier on July 25, the Philippines’ Crimson Arradaza matched the 7.72 record at GAN Tarlac Speedcubing Open 2026. Chen then went below seven seconds in Wuhu. Because WCA Regulation 9i2 recognizes only the best regional-record result achieved on the same calendar date, Chen receives the world and Asian records while Arradaza’s result stands as a Philippine national record. (worldcubeassociation.org) (worldcubeassociation.org)
The five solves behind the 6.99 average
Chen’s final set was 7.27, 7.07, 6.12, 9.48, and 6.64 seconds. Under the average-of-five format, the fastest and slowest attempts are removed. Dropping the 6.12 and 9.48 left 7.27, 7.07, and 6.64 as the counting solves, producing the 6.99 average. (worldcubeassociation.org)
That detail makes the sub-seven barrier more than a headline built around one exceptional attempt. Chen needed three counting solves averaging below seven seconds, and his slowest counting time was 7.27. The 6.12 that was excluded from the average still mattered separately: it lowered his Chinese one-handed single record from 6.47 to 6.12.
Chen also won the Wuhu one-handed final. Ruihang Xu finished second with a 9.32 average, while Qiyu Zhang placed third at 11.53. The official competition page identifies Wuhu Open as a one-day event at the Central City Hotel, with 3x3, 2x2, 4x4, one-handed, Pyraminx, and Skewb on the program. (worldcubeassociation.org)
A record that changed twice in one day
Arradaza’s final in Tarlac came from solves of 8.18, 7.97, 8.02, 7.16, and 6.82 seconds. Removing the 8.18 and 6.82 produced 7.72, exactly matching the record Luke Garrett had held since March 2025. Arradaza’s WCA profile now ranks that performance second in the world behind Chen. (worldcubeassociation.org)
Ordinarily, equaling a regional record qualifies for recognition. The same-date clause changes that when multiple record-level results happen on one local calendar date: only the best one is recorded as breaking the regional record. Independent speedcubing coverage documented how Arradaza appeared to have joined Garrett at the top before Chen’s faster set became the day’s official record performance. (speedcubersdigest.com)
The rule avoids treating the order in which results are uploaded as the deciding factor. Instead, it assigns each round’s results to that round’s final local calendar date; when a regional record is achieved more than once on that date, only the best result is recognized as breaking it. In this case, both averages remain official results, but their record labels differ: 6.99 is the world record, while 7.72 is Arradaza’s Philippine record.
Chen’s jump from 8.22 to 6.99
Before Wuhu Open, Chen’s official personal-best one-handed average was 8.22, set at Taizhou Open 2025. His first round in Wuhu already delivered a major improvement: 8.40, 8.11, 7.33, 7.67, and 8.18 produced a 7.99 average. He then improved by a full second in the final. (worldcubeassociation.org)
Across the competition, Chen lowered his average personal best by 1.23 seconds and his single by 0.35. The progression also shows why the final should not be read as an isolated lucky set. He had already broken eight seconds earlier that day, then followed with three counting solves between 6.64 and 7.27 when the title and record were decided.
Chen’s profile now places him first in the world for one-handed average and fourth for one-handed single. The distinction is important: the average record measures repeated performance across five attempts, while the single ranking rewards the fastest individual solve.
Why the first sub-seven average matters
Breaking a whole-second barrier is rare at the top of an established WCA event. Garrett’s 7.72 had stood for more than 16 months, and Arradaza was able to match it on the same day Chen reset the benchmark. Chen did not edge the record by a hundredth; he lowered it by nearly three-quarters of a second.
For one-handed specialists, the new target is also unusually clear. A sub-seven average cannot be built around one fast solve that gets discarded. It requires a set with multiple attempts near ordinary two-handed elite speed, completed while one hand alone controls the cube’s turning and regrips.
The official record book now reads 6.99, with 6.12 as Chen’s best solve inside the set. Future challengers will need to beat the full average, not simply find one solve below seven seconds.