Chinese Humanoid Robot Breaks Usain Bolt’s 100m Record at Beijing Games

A Chinese humanoid robot ran 100 metres in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary heat at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday, surpassing Usain Bolt’s long-standing men’s world record of 9.58 seconds.

Tiangong Ultra Edges Out Rival Robot

Developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Tiangong Ultra won its heat after overtaking Honor’s Lightning robot near the finish line. Lightning finished close behind at 9.47 seconds, also beating Bolt’s mark set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships. Neither robot managed a graceful finish, both crashed into padded stopping mats, with Tiangong stumbling into the sidelines and Lightning ultimately needing to be carried off after collapsing.

Major Improvement From Last Year’s Games

The results represent a dramatic leap from the inaugural games, where Tiangong Ultra won the same event in 21.50 seconds. Lightning also earlier posted a 9.32-second time in a preparatory test, reaching a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second, and previously won this year’s humanoid half marathon in a time faster than the elite human world record pace.

China Pushes Humanoid Robotics as Strategic Industry

The event reflects China’s broader push to establish humanoid robotics as a key growth sector, with investor interest surging recently after robot maker Unitree’s Shanghai stock debut saw shares jump more than fivefold, valuing the company at roughly $50 billion. This year’s games attracted 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries, more than double last year’s participation.