Humanoid robots have surpassed Usain Bolt's 100-meter dash world record of 9.58 seconds during the second annual World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The Tiangong Ultra, developed by Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, completed the sprint in 9.39 seconds during a preliminary heat on Saturday, overtaking Honor's Lightning robot at 9.47 seconds. Despite the record-breaking times, the robots crashed into pads after finishing, with some requiring human assistance to be stretchered off the course. This marks a significant improvement from the inaugural games last year, where Tiangong Ultra finished in 21.5 seconds.

The event in Beijing also featured a half-marathon for Chinese companies to showcase humanoid capabilities. Honor's Lightning secured gold with a time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing another human record. The World Humanoid Robot Games run from August 22 to 26, hosting thousands of robots competing in track and field, soccer, table tennis, and boxing.