It’s good to know that while Australia’s cricket, soccer, rugby and swimming teams all seem to be in terminal decline at the moment there are still some people out there carrying the flag and impressing on the world stage.
17-year-old Rubik’s wunderkind, Feliks Zemdegs managed to out-do some 574 competitors from all over the world to be crowned World Champion of solving Rubik’s Cubes… Let’s just focus on the world champion bit.
The 17-year-old Zemdegs scored a fastest average solving time of 8.8 seconds with the ‘classic’ 3×3 cube. He also recorded a personal best time for a single solve with a brisk 7.36 seconds.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Zemdegs garnished his victory sundae with a heroes cherry, also winning gold in the 4×4 and One-Handed solving categories.
How the fuck do you turn those fiddly Rubik’s things with one hand?
Zemdegs beat out Dutchman, Mats Valk, the ‘Usain Bolt’ of Rubik’s cube solving (that sounded more impressive in my head) who holds the current world record for the fastest solve with 5.5 seconds.
German Sebastian Weyer rounded out the loser’s podium with a third place finish.
There is no word yet from PM KRudd if Zemdeg’s heroics will be rewarded with his own day but, after all the hullabaloo made about Ashton Agar’s efforts in the first Ashes Test, surely this kid deserves something.
Maybe somebody could get him a girlfriend, or – failing that – maybe a slightly less bizarre hobby.
Image: Getty