China’s humanoid robot Tiangong Ultra ran the 100-metre sprint in 8.86 seconds on August 25 at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, shattering its own earlier record of 9.39 seconds set during the preliminaries and surpassing Usain Bolt’s human world record of 9.58 seconds set in 2009 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Tiangong achieved this record in the semifinal race and qualified for the final scheduled later that day at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval [1, 2, 3, 4].

The Games in Beijing this year featured 2,056 robots from 666 teams competing in 51 events, including football and dancing, reflecting rapid growth in humanoid robotics [2, 6]. Another robot called Lightning also recorded a sub-human record time of 9.47 seconds in the 100 metres on the event’s opening day [2].

Tiangong’s achievements extend beyond sprinting. The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center states that the robot has also set human-surpassing records in other athletic events: a 400-metre run in 38.15 seconds, a 1,500-metre run in 2 minutes 21.64 seconds, and a high jump of 2.88 metres [1, 2]. During the preliminary rounds on August 22, Tiangong had already demonstrated its capabilities with a 9.39-second 100m sprint and a 2.88-metre high jump [1, 3, 6].

After crossing the finish line at 8.86 seconds, Tiangong struck a thick mat and collapsed, sparking a small fire in its torso, which raised concerns about durability and safety despite its speed breakthroughs [2, 5]. Engineers acknowledge these challenges amid ongoing efforts to improve reliability for commercial applications [6]. Li Hui, an engineer at Fudan University, said, “Reading that a motor-powered robot can run faster than a human is one thing. Seeing it rush past you during training is completely different. You realise how impressive it is.” [2]

Taiwanese experts advise focusing on precision components, control systems, and system integration to compete with China’s rapid scaling and event-driven robot advancements [6]. The 2026 event is the second edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games, showing fast progress in robot athleticism since last year [2, 6].

The 100-metre final for Tiangong Ultra is scheduled for August 25 evening, where the robot may attempt to improve its record further [3, 4].