Max Park

Max Park was born on November 28, 2001, in Cerritos, California.[4][5] When Park was two years old, he was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism. His parents, Miki and Schwan Park, were told that he might need lifelong care.[6] Park's motor skills were severely impaired because of his autism and so his mother, Miki Park, taught Park how to solve a Rubik's cube that he had taken interest in. He began learning speedcubing and performing at competitions. At his second competition, he came in first place in the 6×6×6 event. He made progress in social development by waiting in a queue and mirroring body language on a podium at competitions.[7]

Park previously held the world record for average of five 3×3×3 solves with a 4.86 second average set at Marshall Cubing September 2022 on the 24th of the month.[3]

Park previously held the world record for average of five 3×3×3 solves with one hand at 9.02 seconds, set on 12 March 2022 at Florida Spring B 2022. This record was broken by Patrick Ponce with an average of 8.70 seconds.[8] Park was the first person to achieve a sub-10 second one-handed average in competition, with an average of 9.99 seconds on 13 January 2018 at Thanks Four The Invite 2018. Park also holds the world record single for one-handed solving at 6.20 seconds set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 20 2019, breaking one of the longest-standing cubing world records which was held by Feliks Zemdegs.[9]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 4×4×4 solves with 16.79 seconds and 19.88 seconds, both set on April 3, 2022, at Bay Area Speedcubin' 29 PM 2022.[10]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 5×5×5 solves with 33.02 seconds and 38.42 seconds, both set at Florida Big & Blind Time 2022.[11] Prior to Park's first 5×5×5 record, the records for single and the average of five 5×5×5 solves had been held by Feliks Zemdegs, who had improved the two records a combined 32 times.[12] Park is the only cuber other than Zemdegs to have set either 5×5×5 record since 11 August 2012.[12]

Park holds the world records for single and mean of three 6×6×6 solves: 59.74 seconds and 1 minute, 9.23 seconds, both set at CubingUSA Southeast Championship 2022.[13]

Park holds the world records for single and mean of three 7×7×7 solves: 1 minute, 40.89 seconds and 1 minute, 46.57 seconds, set at Cubing Nationals 2019 and Houston Winter 2020 respectively.[14]

Park is the 2-time US National Champion in 3×3×3, 3-time champion in 4×4×4, 2-time champion in 5×5×5, 2018 champion in 6×6×6, 2018 champion in 7×7×7, and 2-time champion in 3×3×3 One-Handed.

At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Park won 3×3×3 and 3×3×3 one-handed and placed 3rd in 5×5×5 and 6×6×6.[15]

At the World Championship 2019 in Melbourne, Park won 4×4×4, 5×5×5, 6×6×6, 7×7×7, and 3×3×3 one-handed. Park finished 4th in the 3×3×3 final after winning the first three rounds.[16]

Park is one of nine cubers to have solved the 3×3×3 in less than 5 seconds in competition at least five times,[17] and one of the two cubers to have achieved at least five sub-6 second averages of five 3×3×3 solves in competition.[18]

In 2020, Max appeared in the Netflix documentary The Speed Cubers, a film about speedcubing largely focusing on Feliks Zemdegs and Max Park and their speedcubing journey.