Chinese Humanoid Robot 'Lightning' Outruns Usain Bolt's 100m World Record

Chinese Humanoid Robot 'Lightning' Outruns Usain Bolt's 100m World Record

BEIJING — In a historic leap for artificial intelligence and robotics, a Chinese humanoid robot has shattered the human 100-meter world record.

The robot, named Lightning, completed a 100-meter practice trial in a blistering 9.32 seconds during preparations for the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The feat eclipses Jamaican legend Usain Bolt's iconic 2009 world record of 9.58 seconds by 0.26 seconds, according to a report by Deutsche Welle (DW).

Developed by Chinese consumer electronics giant Honor, the 169-centimeter-tall robot has quickly built a reputation for extraordinary athletic milestones. Ahead of the Beijing games, engineers made a key physical modification to the machine, extending its leg length by 10 centimeters to 1.05 meters—an adjustment reported by China Central Television that contributed to its record-breaking sprint speed.

Lightning's short-distance record comes just months after another display of high-speed endurance. In April, the humanoid completed the 21-kilometer Beijing half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds—significantly faster than the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo.

The World Humanoid Robot Games serves as a major international showcase for leading robotics companies and university research groups to demonstrate complex tasks, agility, and AI integration.

Industry observers highlight that Lightning's performance marks rapid progress in the field. Just a year ago, top-tier humanoid designs frequently struggled to complete basic footraces, whereas today's advanced models are outpacing human physical limits.