Humanoid Robots Break Usain Bolt's 100m Record at Beijing Games

Humanoid robots have surpassed Usain Bolt's 100-meter sprint world record at the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, marking a significant milestone in the rapid advancement of bipedal robotics. The event, which opened on August 22, 2026, at the National Speed Skating Oval, has drawn over 2,000 robots from 16 countries to compete in a wide array of athletic and practical challenges.

The record-breaking performances occurred during the competition. In the official heats on August 22, the Tiangong Ultra robot, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won the 100-meter race with a time of 9.39 seconds, breaking the human world record of 9.58 seconds set by Bolt in 2009. Another robot, Lightning, designed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, finished with a time of 9.47 seconds, also beating the human benchmark. According to organizers, a preparatory trial before the games saw Lightning complete the sprint in 9.32 seconds. The progress is stark; last year's winning time was 21.5 seconds.

The games, now in their second year, feature 51 events and more than 1,000 competitions, including running, table tennis, soccer, weightlifting, and tug-of-war. The...