Humanoid robots break records at competition in Beijing

Faceless humanoids exceeded human records and delighted hundreds of spectators at the World Robot Games over the weekend in Beijing as China showcased its dominance in the industry. Dozens of humanoids and their human operators descended on Beijing's Olympic speed skating arena Sunday to compete in events from athletics and boxing to football and martial arts. During Saturday's opening ceremony, a Chinese robot broke Jamaican legend Usain Bolt's record for the 100-metre dash, a feat splashed across headlines in Chinese state media. The white and headless humanoid called Tiangong Ultra finished the sprint in 9.39 seconds according to state broadcaster CCTV – surpassing Bolt's best of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009. On Sunday, robot-makers scored another win, with the same humanoid model shattering the 400-metre world record by nearly five seconds. Developed by a local government-backed research centre in Beijing, it finished in 38.16 seconds – with its time later revised to 38.15. A humanoid robot competes on the first day of the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 22, 2026 © Pedro Pardo, AFP In one 400-metre heat, a white-shelled robot thrashed its arms side to side as i...