Phil Exemptex. He's single most successful competitive Cuba in history. Over a hundred world records and over 400 gold medals, he has outstriped the competition to an incredible degree since 2009. He has held the 3x3 average world record almost constantly since 2010 and has been the only Cuba to win worlds twice. Even now, in 2018, with Cuba's Max Park in Tsungkyu, it's hard to see him losing relevance anytime soon. How did this all happen? OK, so my name is Felix Xemdix. I'm currently 22 years old and I've been speedcubing for over 10 years. Felix was born on December 20, 1995. His interest in the cube first sparked when he was 12. A pretty simple story, so basically I was just on YouTube looking on YouTube and came across videos of people solving Rubik's cube. And I was very intrigued and wanted to learn how to solve it. So bought a cube and learned from a tutorial on YouTube. Basically just got addicted like everyone else. On June 14, 2008, he had already hit a sub-20 average of 5. It wasn't entirely without mischief, however. Well, I was a little kid, 12 years old, kind of posting a lot on the speed solving forums. And back then there was another forum called TheMasterTheCube.com forum and I was fairly active on those forums and posting all my times and improving and improving. And I don't know what I was doing. Essentially, I just, for most of myself, started with the cross solved or mostly solved. On the 9th of June, 2008, just a few months after starting, he posted an 18.46 average on YouTube and posted it to speed solving as proof that he really was that fast. 5,11 minutes later, he confessed that he had faked the solves, deleted the video, and would only post legitimate ones from then on. As he was a little kid at the time and leaves solving at home, no one really cared and it was mostly forgiven. His legitimate times kept improving more and more and just under a year later, he was averaging under 15 consistently. It was at this point that people were starting to take notice. His first news article dates back to the 2nd of June, 2009, with his first radio interview just a few hours later on the Australian radio program, Hey Mission Andy. A month later, he broke the OCR for 3x3 single and average at his first competition with a 10.05 single and a 12.55 average. This was just the beginning. His first world records, the 4x4 and 3x3 averages, were both broken on the 30th of January 2010 at the Melbourne Summer Open 2010. This wasn't the end however. He wanted the single world record and he was determined to get it somehow. He lowered the oceanic record for the 3x3 single ever so slowly over the rest of the year. Finally, on the 13th of November 2010, he pulled through. Twice. He ended up breaking 5 world records that day. It was very clear at this point that nobody could even come close. What's more, the 2011 World Championships were on their way. He would surely dominate the scene and come out on top and through by 3. It wasn't even worth arguing about. Then he came 3rd. I think the 2011 was a case of nerves and bad solves basically and a lot of pressure because I was solving with Mikhail who was right next to me and he was doing. He did fast times on all 5 of his solves so that added to it. Felix wasn't invincible. He wasn't a god. He was a cuba who happened to be incredibly good, better than anyone else, but he could be beaten. No one really thought much of this at the time however. He had still broken 3 world records in one competition, including the first ever sub-minute 5x5 average in what is widely considered the most exciting round in competitive speedcubing history. Less than a year later, he lowered the 3x3 average to 7.53 seconds and again broke 3 other world records in the same competition. And then Matsvall got a 5.55 world record single 6 months later. Some people started to think that this was finally the end of his reign. Sure, he still held the 3x3 average world record, but it would only be a matter of time until that was taken. It all hinged on his performance at the upcoming world championship in Las Vegas. But he finally took the position of world champion like so many believed he deserved. He had done it. In 2011, he couldn't beat an 8.65 average. In 2013, he did beat an 8.65 average. Not only had Felix secured his title as world champion, but he became the first cuba ever to podium in 3x3 at two separate world championships. And he didn't intend to slow down. At the end of the year, he managed a 6.54 average, almost a full second faster than his previous record. It was around this time that Moe really started to take notice. So it was in 2013 that Moe began to offer this sort of prize money for breaking your world record. And so I got the world record average with the way long and they said, okay, we'll send you this 1500 US dollars prize money for that. And then as long as you just send us a couple of pictures of yourself so we can share that you got the world record. I don't even know what it was. But essentially, they sent the prize money and then I sent some pictures. And next thing I know, it was all over their boxes. However, it was never an official sponsorship and it made him a little uncomfortable. And initially, well being, I think I was 16 years old, so I didn't really think too much of it. And then a couple of people mentioned to me, like, oh, Felix, you're sponsored by them. You're a spokesperson or something. And because I think it was on their posters. So you know how Moe you have posters and stuff at competitions, sometimes at which they sponsor. It said, I had big pictures of me. It said, Felix is Moe's spokesperson. And by the time I heard all that stuff, I was like, this isn't great. So I kind of had a little bit of a thing against them. And so eventually, I kept using their cubes because they were quite good. And I always want to use the best cubes. But eventually, I stumbled onto the GAN cubes and really liked them. So I started using them as my main for a little while. And then because of that and because I went to China or was invited to China in 2015 by GAN, decided to do some sponsorship and work with him. So to kind of, yeah, disassociate myself from Moe. Armed with the 2013 World Champion title, he went off to South America for the 2015 World Championship. By winning the championship, he became the first cubit not only podium three times in three by three, but actually win two separate world championships, cementing his position as one of the best cubers of all time. In 2016, he announced an official sponsorship by GAN, allowing him to travel to competitions all over the world and to break his 100th world record. Today, Felix has finally been consistently equaled. People like Mats Volk, Max Park and Tsunghuk Nam have managed to catch up to him. And Max Park's 6.39 average ended the 7-year streak of him exclusively holding the 3 by 3 average record. In 2017, a combination of nerves and incredible competition saw him not podium in 3 by 3 for the first time ever. However, his incredible speed still makes him a force to be reckoned with. Felix was the first person to get a sub 10, sub 9, sub 8, sub 7 and sub 6 through by 3 average in competition, and he is still competing and hunting for records. He may be fully surpassed soon, but that doesn't look like it will happen for a little while yet.