TheSixthSide

There are a lot of elements that go into getting faster. The main thing is just practicing a lot, but if you want to get anywhere close to 5 seconds you'll need to learn to solve a lot more efficiently, using a method better suited for speedsolving. The how to get faster page on the r/cubers wiki is a good resource for getting faster, as is cubeskills

5.46 seconds, for the original 3x3 cube

It's a combination of factors! The most important thing is absolutely practice - I'm okay at cubing, but there are others who've practiced far more, and are far, far faster than me. They'd beat me at a competition ten times out of ten.

However, between cubers of similar speed, nerves, concentration, and luck all come into play. There are probably a dozen people who have a real shot at winning the World Championship this weekend, but the winner will come down to who holds their nerve the best, and, admittedly, doesn't get too unlucky

The fastest time I've ever solved a Rubik's cube in is 5.46 seconds. There are other puzzles speedcubers solve too, some of which I've solved faster than the original Rubik's cube

Yes, that includes speed cubes. I usually say "Rubik's Cube" even though it's not technically Rubik's brand, because more people will understand what I'm talking about.

My cubes are almost always pretty broken in by the time I compete with them, yeah