The second World Humanoid Robot Games have come to an end in Beijing, with humanoid robots attracting global attention after setting performances that surpassed some of the fastest human marks.
The five-day competition was held from 22 to 26 August 2026 at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, the same venue used during the 2022 Winter Olympics.
More than 2,000 humanoid robots from 666 teams took part in 51 events, including athletics, football, kickboxing, table tennis and tai chi.
Robots beat Usain Bolt’s record.
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The biggest talking point was the 100-metre sprint, where several robots posted times faster than Usain Bolt’s human world record of 9.58 seconds.
Honour’s humanoid robot, known as Lightning, recorded a time of 9.32 seconds in a trial run. Another robot clocked 9.39 seconds during the opening ceremony.
The performances were followed by an even faster run during the competition.
On Tuesday, a humanoid robot completed the 100 metres in 8.86 seconds, setting the official competition record.
Bolt’s 9.58-second record has stood since 2009.
A robot’s 8.86-second run was more than 0.7 seconds faster than Bolt’s human world record.
However, the robot performances are not recognised as official human athletics records because the machines compete under completely different conditions and are not governed by World Athletics rules.
From 21.50 seconds to 8.86
The improvement in robot sprinting has been significant.
At the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in 2025, the winning 100-metre time was 21.50 seconds.
One year later, the competition record had fallen to 8.86 seconds.
The machines were developed with different designs and technologies, with teams competing to demonstrate improvements in movement, balance, artificial intelligence and control.
The sprint also exposed some of the challenges engineers still face.
Several robots struggled to slow down after crossing the finish line. Some lost their balance and crashed into padded barriers.
Emergency crews were seen using fire extinguishers and stretchers during some incidents, highlighting the difficulties of controlling machines travelling at high speed.
Robots also broke other records.
The 100 metres was not the only event where robots produced striking performances.
A humanoid robot cleared 2.88 metres in the high jump, while another recorded 38.15 seconds in the 400 metres.
The Games featured a mixture of conventional sports and events designed specifically to test what humanoid robots can do.
Competitions included sprinting, hurdles, long jump, high jump, football, table tennis, weightlifting, kickboxing, martial arts and tai chi.
Testing robots beyond sport
The Games also included practical challenges intended to demonstrate how humanoid robots could perform tasks outside a sporting environment.
Robots were tested in activities linked to areas such as manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and household services.
The competition therefore provided teams with an opportunity to test how machines respond to different environments while operating with varying levels of autonomy.
Battery life remains a challenge.
Despite the impressive performances, the Games also exposed technological limitations.
Battery life remains an important challenge because robots require significant power to operate motors, sensors and computing systems.
Advanced connectivity is also important for machines using artificial intelligence. The event highlighted the potential role of 5G networks in supporting communication and AI processing for autonomous robots.
The Beijing competition ultimately showed both sides of humanoid robotics: machines capable of extraordinary bursts of speed and strength, but which can still struggle with basic challenges such as stopping, maintaining balance and managing their power supply.
With the World Humanoid Robot Games expanding from the inaugural event in 2025, the performances in Beijing offered another indication of how quickly humanoid robotics is developing.
