Chinese humanoid robots posted sprint and jumping results beyond long-standing human records at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday, highlighting rapid gains in robotic mobility while stopping short of changing any official athletics record. Associated Press reported that more than 2,000 robots are taking part in the five-day technology showcase, which opened at the National Speed Skating Oval.
Before the competition began, a humanoid called Lightning, developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, completed a 100-meter test in 9.32 seconds, according to the company and Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Reuters reported that the machine reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second. The test time was 0.26 seconds faster than Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's human world record of 9.58 seconds, set in Berlin in 2009.
During Saturday's formal program, a robot built by Beijing-based X-Humanoid finished a 100-meter race in 9.39 seconds, AP reported. Another machine from the company reached 2.88 meters in a standing high jump, above Javier Sotomayor's human high-jump record of 2.45 meters. The comparisons illustrate engineering performance, but the robot events operate under different rules and are not recognized by World Athletics as human records.
Organizers said teams from 16 countries are participating in 51 events and more than 1,000 contests, ranging from running and weightlifting to table tennis, soccer and tug of war. The second annual games coincide with Beijing's 2026 World Robot Conference, where companies displayed about 3,000 products, placing the sporting demonstrations within China's broader drive to develop and commercialize humanoid systems.
The performances show progress in balance, actuators, power control and coordinated movement, capabilities that developers hope eventually to apply in factories, logistics and dangerous environments. Experts cited by AP cautioned that humanoid robots remain concentrated in demonstrations, research and performances, and that widespread real-world deployment will take more time despite the pace of technical improvement.
China produces a majority of the world's humanoid robots, according to AP, making the Beijing events a prominent display in an intensifying technology competition with the United States. The remaining days of competition will offer further tests of endurance, reliability and autonomy, factors likely to matter more commercially than a single headline sprint time.
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