Chinese Humanoid Robot Shatters 100-Metre Record With 9.39-Second Sprint

A Chinese humanoid robot has delivered one of the most striking demonstrations yet of advances in robotics, completing a 100-metre sprint in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary heat at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.

Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, won the heat after overtaking Honor’s Lightning robot near the finish. Lightning crossed the line in 9.47 seconds.

Faster Than the Human 100m World Record

Tiangong Ultra’s 9.39-second performance was quicker than Usain Bolt’s longstanding men’s 100-metre world record of 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin. The robot result is not an official human athletics record, but the comparison highlights the extraordinary pace of progress in humanoid locomotion.

Huge Improvement in Just One Year

The performance represented a dramatic leap from the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, when Tiangong Ultra completed the 100 metres in 21.50 seconds. The latest time cuts more than 12 seconds from that performance.

Lightning had also recorded an even faster 9.32-second time during a preparatory test, according to Chinese state media, reaching a reported peak speed of 14.5 metres per second.

Speed Still Comes With Challenges

The sprint also demonstrated some of the remaining limitations of fast-moving humanoids. After crossing the finish, Tiangong Ultra struggled to slow down and moved into the padded stopping area, while Lightning collapsed and had to be carried away.

More Than 2,000 Robots Competing

The second World Humanoid Robot Games have brought together 2,056 robots from 666 teams representing 16 countries and six continents. The Beijing event features 51 competitions ranging from running, football and dancing to practical industrial tasks.

Beyond Sport: Testing Robots for the Real World

While the headline-grabbing races demonstrate improvements in speed, balance and mechanical control, the games also test capabilities with potential real-world applications. Competitions include tasks designed to assess precision, autonomy and performance in environments relevant to manufacturing, logistics and services.

China Pushes Humanoid Robotics as a Strategic Industry

China has identified humanoid robotics as an important emerging technology sector. Developers are combining advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, batteries, actuators and control systems as they work toward machines capable of performing increasingly complex tasks alongside people.

A New Milestone for Humanoid Robotics

Tiangong Ultra’s 9.39-second sprint is a dramatic illustration of how quickly humanoid robot performance is improving. Although direct comparisons with human athletics require important caveats, the result provides a striking benchmark for the rapidly developing robotics industry.

Source: Reuters and World Humanoid Robot Games reporting, August 22–23, 2026.