Chinese Humanoid Robots Smash Usain Bolt’s 100-Meter World Record at Beijing Games

PUBLISHED Aug 22, 2026, 8:13 PM ET

A humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor has completed a 100-meter sprint in 9.32 seconds during preparations for the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The robot, named Lightning, surpassed the human world record of 9.58 seconds established by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin. During the test run, Lightning achieved a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second. Researchers modified the machine by extending its legs by ten centimeters to 1.05 meters ahead of the five-day competition, which features more than two thousand robots from sixteen nations. Organizers reported that a separate machine, Tiangong Ultra, also completed a preliminary heat in 9.39 seconds. While sports officials noted that robotic times remain entirely separate from official human athletic standards, the exhibition highlights rapid technical advancements in artificial intelligence, advanced hardware engineering, and competitive global robotics manufacturing sectors across the world today.

By Sarah Whitman | JQJO News

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Left: Emphasizes rapid global technological progress and international scientific collaboration efforts. Center: Reports raw statistical achievements and official event competition results objectively. Right: Highlights strategic national security threats and economic trade competition risks.