A Chinese Robot Beat Usain Bolt's 100-Meter Record. ...
High-profile feats of robotic athleticism have become increasingly common in China, where a humanoid robotics industry has flourished, aided by generous state support and billions in investment.
Key takeaways
- The most recent headlines on humanoid robots center on the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, where Chinese machines dramatically outpaced human athletes— a Tiangong Ultra model completed the 100‑metre sprint in 9.39 seconds, shattering Usain Bolt’s 9.58‑second record, while another robot set a 400‑metre world record of 38.15 seconds and a standing‑high‑jump of 3.40 metres, though both finalists crashed into a padded wall at the finish.
- Engineers attributed the speed gains to liquid‑cooled motors and higher limb torque, while experts warned that such feats do not yet translate into practical autonomy for tasks like warehouse or household work.
- Parallel developments were reported at the University of Miami, where the Fourier Intelligence GR‑2 humanoid joined the RoboCanes team and is being programmed for household chores and coordinated soccer play, leveraging large‑language‑model advances.
- Meanwhile, a Shanghai‑based firm’s engineer claimed that fully functional humanoid robot soldiers could be fielded within five to ten years, positioning the technology as a strategic asset for national defence.
- Despite the spectacle, analysts highlighted that commercial profitability remains elusive, noting that most humanoid research still focuses on experimental performance rather than mass‑deployment capabilities.
High-profile feats of robotic athleticism have become increasingly common in China, where a humanoid robotics industry has flourished, aided by generous state support and billions in investment. Robots have danced and performed martial arts at the country’s top events.
At the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing over the weekend, they boxed and participated in soccer matches. One played tennis against a human opponent, moving across the court and angling itself to return volleys. Earlier this year, a robot ran a marathon faster than any human in history.
But what do these robotic superhuman feats amount to? Chinese Robot Beats Usain Bolt’s 100-Meter Record
A humanoid robot beat Usain Bolt’s 100-meter dash record at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. It ended up running into a wall to stop and was carried away on a stretcher.CreditCredit...Achmad Ibrahim/Associated Press
Yan Zhuang
By Yan Zhuang
In 2009, Usain Bolt set the men’s 100-meter dash world record of 9.58 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. On Saturday, a humanoid robot developed by the Chinese company X-Humanoid beat that record by 0.19 seconds, according to Chinese state media. The robot ended its sprint by slamming full speed into a padded wall, falling down and being carried away by human assistants. Skip to contentSkip to site index
Asia Pacific
Today’s Paper
Asia Pacific|A Chinese Robot Beat Usain Bolt’s 100-Meter Record. Should We Be Impressed?
SKIP
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Supported by
SKIP
A Chinese Robot Beat Usain Bolt’s 100-Meter Record. Should We Be Impressed?
China’s humanoid robots are achieving superhuman feats of athleticism. But how that translates into the real world is still an open question, experts said.
Listen · 5:57 min
Video
Chinese Robot Beats Usain Bolt’s 100-Meter Record
New robots, funding, and signals. Every Thursday.
Unsubscribe anytime.
Mentioned in this article