Chinese robots break human world records, including Usain Bolt's 100m dash, at Beijing's humanoid games

Beijing is hosting the World Robot Games, an event described as similar to the Olympics, where Chinese humanoid robots have shattered human world records. In a 100-meter race, a humanoid robot clocked 9.39 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt's 2009 record of 9.58 seconds. Another robot achieved a standing high jump of 2.88 meters, far exceeding the human record of 2.45 meters.

Over 2,000 humanoid robots are participating in the five-day event, which is in its second year. The games serve as a showcase for China's swift progress in advanced robotics, intensifying the technological competition with the United States. The event includes a wide array of competitions, such as races, table tennis, and soccer, spread across 51 tests and more than 1,000 individual contests.

The games are being held at the National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. This event coincides with Beijing's World Robot Conference, where companies displayed approximately 3,000 products, including humanoid robots. China manufactures the majority of the world's humanoid robots, but the United States has increased its scrutiny of robots from the country, citing national security concerns.

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Robots with the appearance of spectators perform an exhibition during the opening ceremony of the World Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday, August 22, 2026.