Videos: Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m record — then crashes at the finish
Humanoid robots are playing soccer ahead the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. (Photo: AP)A Chinese humanoid robot has run 100 metres in 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, beating Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second men’s world record.
Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won its preliminary heat after overtaking Honor’s Lightning near the finish. Lightning finished in 9.47 seconds, also faster than Bolt’s 9.58-second mark, set in Berlin in 2009.
But the robots’ finish was anything but graceful. Both slammed into the thick mat designed to stop them. Tiangong stumbled towards the sidelines, forcing spectators to move, while Lightning collapsed and had to be carried away on a stretcher, Reuters reported.
WATCH: Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m world record on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Read more here: https://t.co/aHbmKfOG3h pic.twitter.com/Ft0GZWbyBs
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 23, 2026
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How much have the robots improved?
The leap from last year’s games is striking. Tiangong Ultra won the 100 metres at the inaugural event in 21.50 seconds. A year later, it has cut more than 12 seconds off that time.
A humanoid robot developed by China’s Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds, beating the human world record held by Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt https://t.co/z0D4H4Vco6 pic.twitter.com/EYuum0iwA8
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 22, 2026
Earlier on Saturday, Chinese state media reported that Lightning had clocked 9.32 seconds in a preparatory test, reaching a top speed of 14.5 metres per second, Reuters reported.
Lightning had already demonstrated its endurance earlier this year, winning a humanoid half-marathon in Beijing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. Lightning was also modified ahead of the games. Its legs were lengthened by 10 cm from the version that ran the half-marathon, taking them to 1.05 metres, according to Chinese broadcaster CCTV.
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Why is China investing so heavily in humanoid robots?
The sprint is part of a much bigger push by China to turn humanoid robots from experimental machines into commercially useful workers. Investor interest has also surged. Shares of Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree jumped more than fivefold at its Shanghai debut this week, giving the company a valuation of about $50 billion, Reuters reported.
This year’s games have attracted 2,056 robots from 666 teams representing 16 countries across six continents, up sharply from 280 teams at the first event, according to Reuters. The competition, held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, continues through Wednesday.
Running faster than Bolt is spectacular. Doing a useful job without human intervention is the real test.
