Mats Valk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Valk in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 May 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Dutch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Student | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2007-present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known for | Rubik's Cube speedsolver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Mats Valk (born 4 May 1996) is a Dutch Rubik's Cube speedsolver. He broke the Rubik's cube single solve world record twice with times of 5.55 seconds in 2013 and 4.74 seconds in 2016. He won the Rubik's Cube European Championship in 2018 [1] and was runner-up for 3x3x3 at the Rubik's Cube World Championships in 2013 and 2015.
Valk was born and raised in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, a suburb of the Dutch capital Amsterdam.
Valk is most famous for breaking the Rubik's cube world record twice and being the runner-up at both the Rubik's cube world championships of 2013 [2] [3] and 2015. [4] [5] He first broke the world record with a time of 5.55 seconds at the Zonhoven Open 2013 in Belgium on 3 March 2013. This record stood for over 2 years. He later broke the world record again with a time of 4.74 seconds at the Jawa Timur Open 2016 in Indonesia on 6 November 2016. In December 2016, Valk looked on as Feliks Zemdegs overtook his world record by just 0.01 seconds.
Valk has also set three 4x4x4 world records, two for single solve and one for an average of 5. His second single world record, 26.77 seconds on 15 April 2012, was the first official 4x4x4 solve under 30 seconds. Altogether, Valk has broken 5 WCA world records, 17 European records, and 127 Dutch national records. Valk also currently holds the world record for solving the most Rubik's cubes in 1 hour, 374 cubes, set in Paris on 21 October 2015.
Valk is also known as a creator of the VLS (Valk Last Slot) 3x3x3 algorithm set, which correctly orients the last layer while inserting the last corner-edge pair of the first two layers. Valk used one of these algorithms to complete the cube in his 2016 3x3x3 world record.
Valk collaborated with the Chinese brand QiYi MoFangGe to set up his own brand, The Valk, creating cubes according to his own specifications. The design of the mechanism and the performance of the cube has to be approved by Valk himself before the cube is mass-produced and sold. The first cube released under this brand was the Valk 3 [6] [7] on 15 August 2016. This cube has been used by many other world-class speedcubers, including Patrick Ponce's former world record single. The size of the cube (5.55 cm each side) is a reference to his first Rubik's cube world record. He set his 2016 3x3x3 world record using a special magnetized version of this cube put together by TheCubicle.us, known as the Cubicle Valk 3 M. In 2018, QiYi released another Valk 3x3, the Valk Power and Power M, short for Valk Power Magnetic, the first copper core speedcube. Lastly, Qiyi released the newest Valk 3x3 called the Valk 3 Elite M. It has a dual magnet setting that no cube previously has had. The Valk Collection also has 2x2s, 4x4s, and a 5x5.
| Record type | Event | Record time | Competition | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World records | 3x3x3 Cube Single | 4.74 seconds | Jawa timur open 2016 | Blitar, Indonesia | 6 November 2016 |
| 5.55 seconds | Zonhoven open 2013 | Zonhoven, Belgium | 3 March 2013 | ||
| Most Rubik's Cubes solved in 1 hour [lower-alpha 1] | 374 cubes | DYC 2015 | Paris, France | 21 October 2015 | |
| 4x4x4 Cube Single | 26.77 seconds | German open 2012 | Gütersloh, Germany | 14 April 2012 | |
| 30.02 seconds | Dutch nationals 2011 | Zaandam, Netherlands | 17 December 2011 | ||
| 4x4x4 Cube Average | 33.57 seconds | German open 2012 | Gütersloh, Germany | 14 April 2012 | |
| European records | 3x3x3 Cube Single | 5.13 seconds | Euro 2016 | Prague, Czech Republic | 16 July 2016 |
| 6.41 seconds | Dutch open 2011 | Eindhoven, Netherlands | 30 October 2011 | ||
| 6.84 seconds | Dutch open 2011 | Eindhoven, Netherlands | 30 October 2011 | ||
| 3x3x3 Cube Average | 6.46 seconds | Semey Open 2018 | Semey, Kazakhstan | 9 June 2018 | |
| 7.24 seconds | DYC 2015 | Paris, France | 18 October 2015 | ||
| 7.34 seconds | China championship 2015 | Guangzhou, China | 4 October 2015 | ||
| 7.45 seconds | Johannesburg 2014 | Johannesburg, South Africa | 23 November 2014 | ||
| 7.66 seconds | Dutch open 2012 | Voorburg, Netherlands | 4 November 2012 | ||
| 7.77 seconds | Eindhoven open 2012 | Eindhoven, Netherlands | 16 September 2012 | ||
| 9.09 seconds | German open 2011 | Gütersloh, Germany | 10 April 2011 | ||
| 9.20 seconds | Nemo Amsterdam open 2011 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 2 April 2011 | ||
| 4x4x4 Cube Average | 35.10 seconds | Zonhoven open 2012 | Zonhoven, Belgium | 26 February 2012 | |
| 5x5x5 Cube Single | 49.49 seconds | Kaohsiung open 2016 | Kaohsiung, Taiwan | 25 September 2016 | |
| 5x5x5 Cube Average | 54.71 seconds | German open 2017 | Gutersloh, Germany | 29 April 2017 | |
| 56.72 seconds | Kaohsiung open 2016 | Kaohsiung, Taiwan | 25 September 2016 | ||
| 3x3x3 Cube One Handed Average | 17.00 seconds | Aachen open 2011 | Aachen, Germany | 16 January 2011 | |
| 2x2x2 Average | 2.43 seconds | Aachen open 2011 | Aachen, Germany | 16 January 2011 | |
The Rubik's Cube is a 3D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Pentangle Puzzles in the UK in 1978, and then by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer. The cube was released internationally in 1980 and became one of the most recognized icons in popular culture. It won the 1980 German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle. As of January 2024, around 500 million cubes had been sold worldwide, making it the world's bestselling puzzle game and bestselling toy. The Rubik's Cube was inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 2014.
The Rubik's Revenge is a 4×4×4 version of the Rubik's Cube. It was released in 1981. Invented by Péter Sebestény, the cube was nearly called the Sebestény Cube until a somewhat last-minute decision changed the puzzle's name to attract fans of the original Rubik's Cube. Unlike the original puzzle, it has no fixed faces: the center faces are free to move to different positions.
Minh Thai is a Vietnamese-American speedcuber. As a sixteen-year-old Eagles Rock High School student from Los Angeles, he won the first world championship on June 5, 1982 in Budapest by solving a Rubik's Cube in 22.95 seconds. He is also the author of the book The Winning Solution (1982), a guide to solving the cube. Later, Ortega Corners-First Solution Method for Rubik's Cube was based on Minh Thai's Winning Solution.
Speedcubing, also referred to as speedsolving, is a competitive mind sport centered around the rapid solving of various combination puzzles. The most prominent puzzle in this category is the N×N×N (n=3) puzzle, commonly known as the Rubik's Cube. Participants in this sport are known as "speedcubers", who focus specifically on solving these puzzles at high speeds to get low clock times. The essential aspect of solving these puzzles typically involves executing a series of predefined algorithms in a particular sequence with eidetic prediction and finger tricks.
Shotaro Makisumi is best known for setting several world records for speedcubing, or quickly solving the Rubik's Cube.
The World Cube Association (WCA) is the worldwide non-profit organization that regulates and holds competitions for mechanical puzzles that are operated by twisting groups of pieces, commonly known as twisty puzzles. The most famous of those puzzles is the Rubik's Cube. Since the start of the WCA there have been over 11,700 competitions. The WCA was founded by Ron van Bruchem of the Netherlands and Tyson Mao of the United States in 2004. The goal of the World Cube Association is to have "more competitions in more countries with more people and more fun, under fair and equal conditions." In 2017, they started work to become a non-profit organization and on November 20, 2017, the state of California accepted the initial registration of the World Cube Association.
The CFOP method, also known as the Fridrich method, is one of the most commonly used methods in speedsolving a 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube. It is one of the fastest methods with the other most notable ones being Roux and ZZ. This method was first developed in the early 1980s, combining innovations by a number of speedcubers. Jessica Fridrich, a Czech speedcuber and the namesake of the method, is generally credited for popularizing it by publishing it online in 1997.
Tyson Mao is a Taiwanese-American Rubik's Cube speedsolver. He is a co-founder and a former board member of the World Cube Association, an organization that holds competitive events for the Rubik's Cube. In 2005, he set the world record for 3x3x3 blindfolded. In 2006, he appeared on the CW Television Network's Beauty and the Geek as one of the participants of the second incarnation of the reality television show.
Édouard Chambon (Valence), born 19 August 1986, is a French software engineer who was world record holder for fastest single time on a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube with a time of 9.18 seconds and fastest average time of 11.48 seconds. These records were set at the Murcia Open on 23 February 2008.
Eric Limeback is a Canadian speedcuber. He is known for his 11/11 3x3x3 multiblindfold Canadian record solve, as well as his standard 3x3x3 blindfolded solving. Limeback was the first Canadian to record a sub-30 second official 3x3x3 blindfolded solve. Limeback began solving the Rubik's Cube in 9th grade. He graduated from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in 2010. He formerly held the Guinness World Record for the most 3x3x3 cubes solved in 24 hours, 5800, set from 3–4 October 2013 at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.
Rowe Hessler is a two-time former speedcubing U.S. Champion, runner-up World Champion in 2011, and runner-up North American Champion in 2024. He held the North American record for the average of 5 Rubik's Cube solves almost continuously from 2009 to 2014, during which time the record dropped from 11.11 seconds to 8.27 seconds. As of August 2024, his 3x3x3 Multi-Blind personal record of 61/66 cubes in 58:29 ranks him 2nd in the world. Hessler is also known for his past expertise in the 2x2x2 event, having set the former world record in 2009 with an average time of 2.45 seconds. In October 2009, he was crowned World Champion in the 2x2x2 event. Rowe is also an expert in other blindfolded events, being ranked 31st for 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 26th for 4x4x4 Blindfolded, and 22nd for 5x5x5 Blindfolded, all as of August 2024.
Feliks Aleksanders Zemdegs is an Australian Rubik's Cube speedsolver. He is one of the only two speedcubers ever to win the World Cube Association World Championship twice, winning in 2013 and 2015, and is widely considered the most successful and greatest speedcuber of all time. He has set more than 350 records across various speedcubing events: 121 world records, 214 continental records, and 7 national records.
Anthony Michael Brooks is an American speed cubing champion. He specializes in the 2x2 cube and classic 3x3 cube, and used to be officially ranked in the top five in the world in both categories as recognized by the World Cube Association. Since learning to solve the cube in March 2008, Brooks has become known for developing advanced speedsolving methods as well as frequently promoting speedcubing in the media. While working as the Liberty Science Center's Speedcuber-in-Residence, Brooks set the Guinness World Record for most Rubik's Cubes solved underwater in a single breath, and also led the team that currently holds the world record for solving the Groovik's Cube, the world's largest functioning Rubik's Cube. In July 2017, Brooks was featured on the debut season of FOX's Superhuman TV show.
Gilles Roux is a French speedcuber primarily known for inventing a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube method, the Roux Method, and achieving fast times with it.
Drew Brads is an American Rubik's cube speedsolver.
Collin Burns is a speedcuber from the United States who formerly held the world record for solving the Rubik’s cube in 5.25 seconds.
Vincent Sheu is an American speedcuber or Rubik's Cube solver from Saratoga, California known for organizing World Cube Association competitions and setting world records in both the Fewest Moves event and the 2x2x2 single solve. He currently serves as a Director and Delegate for the World Cube Association (WCA) and has been an organizer of every annual US Nationals Cubing Competition since 2010. Sheu previously served as the first Chair of the WCA's Regulations Committee with Lucas Garron from 2012 to 2015, directing a complete redrafting of the official competition regulations and guidelines during his tenure. He has received media attention as the subject of several viral images and video clips at various college sporting events.
Kevin Hays is a former professional American Rubik's Cube speedcuber. Recognized as an expert at solving big cubes, he has won 6 world championship titles and set 21 world records across the three events. He has also set 47 North American records and won 21 US National titles.
Max Park is an American Rubik's Cube speedsolver who currently holds the world record for the fastest 3×3×3 Rubik's cube single solve, set in June of 2023 at 3.13 seconds. Widley regarded as one of the greatest speedcubers of all time, Park is one of the only two speedcubers ever to win the World Cube Association World Championship twice, winning in 2017 and 2023. He also currently holds the world records for the 4×4×4 solve, 5×5×5 solve, 6×6×6 solve, and 7×7×7 solve.
Sebastian Weyer is a German Rubik's Cube speedsolver who specializes in 4x4x4 solving. Weyer has broken the 4x4x4 single solve world record 9 times and the average of five solves record 9 times. He set his first world record on 1 May 2011.
