Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Chinese Humanoid Robots Beat Usain Bolt’s Record—But So What?
Two humanoid robots raced 100 meters in Beijing.
The winning robot was called Tiangong Ultra.
It finished in 9.39 seconds.
Another robot, Lightning, finished in 9.47 seconds.
Both times were faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second record.
The article says this does not necessarily mean the robots are better athletes than people.
Machines are built differently from humans, just as a gorilla is much stronger than a human fighter.
The main question is whether comparing robots with people is useful.
The race still showed that humanoid robots can move very quickly.
Tiangong Ultra won the 100-meter race at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.
Tiangong Ultra reportedly finished in 9.39 seconds, beating Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record.
Honor’s humanoid robot, Lightning, placed second with a time of 9.47 seconds.
The comparison has drawn skepticism because machines should not necessarily be judged against human athletes.
The article compares the robot-versus-human race with the hypothetical fight between Mike Tyson and a silverback gorilla.
- Who
- Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre, won ahead of Honor’s robot Lightning; Usain Bolt is the human record-holder used for comparison.
- What
- Two Chinese humanoid robots reportedly beat Usain Bolt’s 100-meter world record at the World Humanoid Robot Games.
- When
- The event took place over the past weekend, according to the article.
- Where
- Beijing, China.
- Why
- The robots were racing in a humanoid robot competition, while the article questions the usefulness of comparing their performance with human athletes.
Robots’ performance shows technological progress
The human comparison is misleading
Meaning of the race
Robots’ performance shows technological progress
The robots’ 9.39-second and 9.47-second times demonstrate that humanoid machines can run 100 meters faster than the existing human record.
The human comparison is misleading
The article argues that machines should not be expected to compete directly with human athletes because they are built and operate differently.
Value of comparing humans and machines
Robots’ performance shows technological progress
Using Usain Bolt’s record provides a simple benchmark for showing how fast the robots are.
The human comparison is misleading
The article says the comparison is no more meaningful than judging Mike Tyson by whether he could defeat a silverback gorilla, or asking a person to race another machine such as a motorbike.
- Winning robot
- Tiangong Ultra
- Winning time
- 9.39 seconds
- Second-place robot
- Lightning, made by smartphone maker Honor
- Second-place time
- 9.47 seconds
- Usain Bolt’s record
- 9.58 seconds
- Competition
- World Humanoid Robot Games
- Location
- Beijing