Chinese humanoid robot shatters Usain Bolt’s 100m sprint record

At the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China’s Tiangong Ultra set a startling new benchmark by tearing through a 100-metre qualifying heat in just 9.39 seconds. Built by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre, the bot officially outran Usain Bolt’s legendary 9.58-second world mark. It wasn't a one-off fluke, either. Smartphone maker Honor entered its own bot, Lightning, which led early before crossing the line in 9.47 seconds—also eclipsing Bolt’s 2009 Berlin record. State broadcaster CCTV noted that a recent upgrade giving Lightning 1.05-metre legs allowed it to hit top speeds of 14.5 metres per second in practice, where it clocked an even faster 9.32 seconds. The sudden leap in raw speed over the past year is staggering, considering Tiangong Ultra won the exact same event at last year's inaugural games in a sluggish 21.50 seconds. That said, these machines still lack anything resembling human finesse. Unable to gently decelerate, both bots hurled themselves straight into protective crash mats at the finish line. Tiangong Ultra lurched wildly toward shocked onlookers, while a battered Lightning had to be stretchered off after collapsing. Lightning also proved its endurance by winning the humanoid half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—a pace that easily outperforms elite human marathon runners. The sprint is just one of 51 events hosted at the games, which range from athletic tracks to dance routines and practical factory tasks. The entire showcase highlights China’s massive push to dominate the sector, blending AI and hardware engineering to bring fully capable humanoid bots into everyday manufacturing, logistics, and consumer spaces.