Feliks Zemdegs

Feliks Zemdegs
Feliks Zemdegs at the Australian Nationals in Canberra in September 2013.
Feliks Zemdegs at the Australian Nationals in Canberra in September 2013.
Born (1995-12-20) 20 December 1995
Melbourne, Australia
Nationality Australian
Other names Faz
Known for Rubik's Cube speedsolver

Feliks A. Zemdegs (/ˈfɛlɪks ˈzɛmdɛɡz/, Latvian: Fēlikss Zemdegs; born 20 December 1995) is an Australian Rubik's Cube speedsolver.

Biography

Zemdegs has a Latvian ancestry and his maternal grandmother is Lithuanian.[1] Zemdegs bought his first speedcube in April 2008 after being inspired by speedcubing videos and tutorials on YouTube.[2] The first unofficial time he recorded was an average of 19.73 seconds on 14 June 2008.[3] He has been using CFOP to solve the 3×3×3 since he was 12 years old, the Yau method to solve the 4×4×4, the CLL method to solve the 2×2×2, and the Reduction method for 5×5×5 through 7×7×7.

Zemdegs won the 3×3×3 event at the first competition he attended, the New Zealand's Champs 2009 on 18 July 2009, with an average of 13.74 seconds in the final round. He also won 2×2×2, 4×4×4, 5×5×5, 3×3×3 blindfolded, and 3×3×3 one-handed.[4]

At his next competition, the Melbourne Summer Open 2010 on 30 January 2010, Zemdegs set his first world records for 3×3×3 average and 4×4×4 average, with times of 9.21 seconds and 42.01 seconds respectively. He held the 3×3×3 average world record continuously from then until 23 April 2017, improving it 8 times, eventually to 6.45 seconds. The most world records he has ever held at one time was after a competition in Melbourne in May 2011, when he held all 12 records listed in the first 12 columns of the table below. As recently as 28 January 2017, he held 11 of those records concurrently.

At the World Championship 2011 in Bangkok, Zemdegs won 2×2×2, 4×4×4, 5×5×5, and 6×6×6. He also took third in 3×3×3 after winning the first three rounds, and placed third in 7×7×7.[5] At the next world championship, World Championship 2013 in Las Vegas, Zemdegs won 3×3×3, 4×4×4, and 3×3×3 One-handed. He also placed second in 5×5×5 and third in 7×7×7.[6] At World Championship 2015 in São Paulo, Zemdegs won 3×3×3, 2×2×2, 4×4×4, and 5×5×5. He also placed second in 6×6×6, 7×7×7, and Megaminx.[7] At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Zemdegs won 5×5×5 and 7×7×7. He also took second in 6×6×6, 3×3×3 One-handed, and Megaminx, and placed third in 4×4×4.[8]

Zemdegs has a website, CubeSkills, which includes tutorials on solving the Rubik's cube and other puzzles. There are free algorithm sheets, and some free speed solving tutorial videos. The site also offers a premium membership, which enables access to advanced speed solving videos. Members can also submit their own solving videos which Zemdegs will critique.[9]

Zemdegs has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Economics, with a breadth study track in Mechanical Engineering.[10]

World Records


     Current world records are displayed with a red background.[11]

EventTypeFirst World RecordLatest World RecordTotal
3×3×3Single7.08s
Melbourne Cube Day 2010
13 November		4.22s
Cube for Cambodia 2018
6 May		10
Average9.21s
Melbourne Summer Open 2010
13 November		5.80s
Malaysia Cube Open 2017
14–15 October		11
2×2×2Average2.35s
Asian Championship 2010
9–10 October		2.12s
Melbourne Cube Day 2010
13 November		2
4×4×4Single35.55s
New Zealand Champs 2010
10 July		19.36s
LatAm Tour - Arequipa 2017
22 June		12
Average42.01s
Melbourne Summer Open 2010
13 November		25.97s
Adelaide Summer 2017
21 January		7
5×5×5Single1:02.93
Australian Nationals 2010
4–5 September		37.93s
Canberra Autumn 2018
21–22 April		16
Average1:07.59
Australian Nationals 2010
4–5 September		43.21s
Melbourne Cube Days 2017
18–19 November		21
6×6×6Single2:05.88
Melbourne Summer 2011
29–30 January		1:20.03
World Championship 2017
13–16 July		6
Average2:15.64
Melbourne Summer 2011
29–30 January		1:27.79
World Championship 2017
13–16 July		8
7×7×7Single2:23.55
World Championship 2015
17–19 July		2:06.73
World Championship 2017
13–16 July		5
Average2:52.09
Australian Nationals 2013
7-8 September		2:14.04
China's 10th Anniversary 2017
1–2 October		11
3×3×3 One-handedSingle11.16s
Kubaroo Open 2011
7 May		6.88s
Canberra Autumn 2015
9–10 May		4
Average14.76s
Australian Nationals 2010
4–5 September		10.21s
Malaysia Cube Open 2017
14–15 October		5
4×4×4 BlindfoldedSingle3:37.80
Melbourne Summer 2011
29–30 January		—1

Media appearances

References

  1. ↑ "Latviešu izcelsmes austrālietis Zemdegs kļūst par divkārtējo pasaules čempionu Rubika kuba salikšanā (Latvian-Australian Zemdegs becomes two-time world champion in Rubik's Cube speedsolving)" (in Latvian). Lsm.lv. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Saunokonoko, Mark (11 September 2015). "Feliks Zemdegs: cracking the Rubik's Cube". Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "First posted average".
  4. ↑ "New Zealand Championships 2009 results". 18 July 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Worlds 2011 podiums".
  6. ↑ "Worlds 2013 podiums".
  7. ↑ "Worlds 2015 podiums".
  8. ↑ "Worlds 2017 podiums".
  9. ↑ "Cubeskills.com".
  10. ↑ https://www.cubeskills.com/about
  11. ↑ History of WCA world records
  12. ↑ Masanauskas, John (2 June 2009). "Melbourne schoolboy a Rubik's Cube genius". Herald Sun. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  13. ↑ "Rubik's cube craze sweeps NZ (1:40)". Television New Zealand. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Rubik's cubers a breed apart". The Dominion Post. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  15. ↑ Bruce, Kate (21 January 2010). "All-of-a-twist up to persist in Armadale – People – News – Stonnington Leader". Stonnington Leader. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  16. ↑ King, Simon (17 July 2010). "Golfers line up for bad boys' club". The Australian. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  17. ↑ Masanauskas, John (21 July 2010). "Melbourne schoolboy Feliks Zemdegs the 'Usain Bolt' of Rubik's cube". Herald Sun. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  18. ↑ AAP (26 July 2010). "Australia's Rubik Cube World Champion | National | Australia". Epoch Times. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "Can you Cube it? Feliks can". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  20. ↑ Nolan, Kellee (27 July 2010). "Feliks speeds his way to top of the cubist world". The Age. Melbourne.
  21. ↑ Younger, Emma. "MULTIMEDIA: Fingers fly at the National Rubik's Cube competition – Arts & Entertainment – Lifestyle – Melbourne Leader". Melbourne Leader. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "Feliks Zemdegs – Rubiks cube – National IQ test Channel 9 9 November 2010". YouTube. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  23. ↑ Lin, Anne (16 November 2010). "Aussie teen breaks Rubik's cube record". ninemsn. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  24. ↑ Spurr, Chris (2 June 2011). "Catalyst: God's Algorithm – ABC TV Science". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  25. ↑ Greenbaum, Hilary; Rubinstein, Dana (9 February 2012). "Who Made That Rubik's Cube?". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  26. ↑ "Rubik's Cube Wizz Feliks Zemdegs – Shows – Brig & Lehmo for Breakfast – GOLD104.3 – Good Times & Great Classic Hits". GOLD 104.3. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  27. ↑ Scheffler, Ian (3 May 2014). "Beyond the Rubik's Cube: inside thnnme competitive world of speedcubing". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  28. ↑ Mposo, Nontando (27 November 2014). "Fastest finger to solve colourful puzzle". Independent Online. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  29. ↑ Strachan, Maxwell (23 July 2015). "Rubik's Cube Champion Feliks Zemdegs On Whether Puzzles And Intelligence Are Linked". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  30. ↑ Saunokonoko, Mark (11 September 2015). "Feliks Zemdegs: cracking the Rubik's Cube". Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  31. ↑ "Gianfranco Huanqui and Feliks Zemdegs: "The Brain" China - Semifinal 14 April 2016". YouTube. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  32. ↑ Feliks Zemdegs sets new Rubik's Cube world record
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