Bofan Zhang Misses 3x3 World Record After +2 Penalty

Zhang stopped the timer at 2.72 seconds, but a penalty turned the solve into a 4.72 and erased what would have been a new world record.

Bofan Zhang came within one move of breaking the 3x3 single world record.

In a video shared on Bilibili, Zhang stopped the timer at 2.72 seconds, four hundredths faster than Teodor Zajder’s current world record of 2.76. A +2 penalty was applied after he finished one move away from solved, changing the final result to 4.72.

Watch the Near Record Solve Below:
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1GqKF6zEsP/

The penalty meant the solve did not count as either a world record or a personal best. Zhang’s official best remains 3.39, which ranks 10th in the world. His 4.38 average is also fifth globally.

The video shows how narrow the margin can be at the top of modern 3x3. Without the penalty, Zhang would have lowered the world record by 0.04 seconds. Instead, the solve becomes one of the fastest times ever stopped on a competition timer without entering the official rankings.

Zhang is already established among the world’s fastest 3x3 competitors. He finished third at the 2024 WCA Asian Championship with a 5.41 average.

The 2.72 will not appear in the record books, but the underlying performance offered another sign that the 3x3 single world record remains under serious pressure.