Biography
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Biography
Kevin Hays (born 12 May 1994) is an American Rubik's Cube speedsolver. Recognized as an expert at solving big cubes (5x5, 6x6 and 7x7), he has won 5 world championship titles and set 16 world records across the three events. He has also set 29 North American records and won 19 US National titles.
Personal
Hays grew up in Renton, Washington, where he started speedsolving during his freshman year of high school in January 2009. Hays then attended college and continued speedcubing at Washington University in St. Louis. Hays now lives in Seattle, WA.
Speedsolving career
At Hays' first competition, US Nationals 2009, Hays placed 4th in the 6x6 event and made finals in the 5x5 event. The following Summer, at US Nationals 2010, Hays won the national title in the 6x6 event, finishing with a winning average of 2:36.44. Hays broke his first world records the next year at US Nationals 2011, solving the 6x6 cube in world record single and average times of 2:02.31 and 2:09.03 respectively.
Hays attended his first World Championships in October 2011 in Bangkok Thailand. Despite holding the 6x6 world record average that he set at 2011 US Nationals, Hays placed last in the finals, with a result of DNF(Did Not Finish). He placed 2nd in the 7x7 event with an average time of 3:46.99. At the US Nationals 2012, Hays won the 4x4, 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 events, and placed 3rd in the 3x3 event. Hays has been US National champion in the 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 events at every US Nationals since 2012.
In 2013, at the World Rubik's Cube Championship in Las Vegas, NV, Hays placed first in the 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 events, becoming the first person to win all three events at one world championship. At the 2015 World Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil he defended his 6x6 and 7x7 titles, and placed second in the 5x5 event behind Feliks Zemdegs.
Hays has broken the 6x6 single world record 6 times, and the average record 8 times. From Dec 10 2011 to Dec 17 2016, Hays has been the only person to hold the 6x6 single world record, taking the record from 1:54.81 to 1:32.77. He has also broken the 7x7 average world record twice.
Notable Results
World Records
(Current records in bold)
| Event | Single | Average | Competition | Date | Result Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6x6 Cube | 1:32.77 | 1:42.36 | Asian Championship 2016 | October 1, 2016 | 1:45.93, 1:48.39, 1:32.77 |
| 6x6 Cube | 1:45.98 | World Championship 2015 | June 14, 2015 | 1:43.03, 1:51.66, 1:43.23 | |
| 6x6 Cube | 1:46.41 | World Championship 2015 | July 17, 2015 | 1:48.99, 1:48.66, 1:41.58 | |
| 6x6 Cube | 1:33.55 | Indiana 2015 | June 12, 2015 | ||
| 6x6 Cube | 1:40.86 | 1:51.30 | Vancouver Summer 2013 | August 3, 2013 | 1:40.86, 2:01.94, 1:51.11 |
| 6x6 Cube | 1:49.46 | 1:55.13 | Couve Cubing 2012 | May 5, 2012 | 1:53.88, 2:02.06, 1:49.46 |
| 6x6 Cube | 2:00.43 | Lynden Open 2012 | February 4, 2012 | 1:57.96, 2:02.38, 2:00.94 | |
| 6x6 Cube | 1:54.81 | 2:02.13 | Vancouver Winter 2011 | December 10, 2011 | 2:00.93, 1:54.81, 2:10.66 |
| 6x6 Cube | 2:02.31 | 2:09.03 | US Nationals 2009 | August 12, 2011 | 2:13.68, 2:11.09, 2:02.31 |
| 7x7 Cube | 2:42.85 | Clock N' Stuff 2015 | May 23, 2015 | 2:45.87, 2:37.56, 2:45.11 | |
| 7x7 Cube | 2:54.77 | World Championship 2013 | July 28, 2013 | 2:42.80, 2:56.39, 3:05.31 |
World Championship Podiums
| Year | Event | Place | Single | Average | Result Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5x5 Cube | 2 | 51.26 | 55.66 | 51.26, 57.76, 54.77, 54.45, 1:02.12 |
| 2015 | 6x6 Cube | 1 | 1:43.04 | 1:45.98 | 1:43.04, 1:51.66, 1:43.23 |
| 2015 | 7x7 Cube | 1 | 2:41.89 | 2:45.36 | 2:45.36, 2:41.89, 2:50.43 |
| 2013 | 5x5 Cube | 1 | 1:00.53 | 1:01.81 | 1:01.43, 1:01.64, 1:10.17, 1:00.53, 1:02.35 |
| 2013 | 6x6 Cube | 1 | 1:52.42 | 1:56.14 | 1:52.92, 2:03.09, 1:52.42 |
| 2013 | 7x7 Cube | 1 | 2:42.80 | 2:54.77 | 2:42.80, 2:56.39, 3:05.13 |
| 2011 | 7x7 Cube | 2 | 3:37.52 | 3:46.99 | 3:37.52, 3:51.19, 3:52.27 |