Chinese humanoid robot beats Usain Bolt's 100-metre record in test run

TechnologySports
23 Aug 2026 • 9:15 AM MYT
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Image from: Chinese humanoid robot beats Usain Bolt's 100-metre record in test run
A humanoid robot competes on the first day of the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Aug 22, 2026. - (Photo by PEDRO PARDO / AFP)

ISLAMABAD - A Chinese humanoid robot named "Lightning” has set a new 100-metre sprint record, clocking 9.32 seconds in a test ahead of the second World Humanoid Robot Games, surpassing Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt’s human world record of 9.58 seconds, Anadolu Ajansi citing CGTN reported on Saturday.

According to Chinese smart-device maker Honor, the robot reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second, demonstrating high-speed running capabilities ahead of the five-day competition in Beijing.

Lightning is expected to compete in the 100-metre, 400-metre and 1,500-metre events at the games, which run from Aug 22 to 26.

The event will feature humanoid robots competing in a range of sports, including long jump, weightlifting and table tennis, as teams from around the world showcase advances in robotics and artificial intelligence.

Bolt’s 9.58-second record, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remains the official human world record recognized by World Athletics. The robot’s reported time is therefore not directly comparable as an athletic world record under human sporting rules. - BERNAMA

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