Humanoid Robot Runs 100M Faster Than Usain Bolt

Humanoid robots are getting faster at an incredible pace, and Tian Gong Ultra just delivered a performance that puts that progress into perspective. Competing for the Tian Zhuo team at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, the robot completed the 100 meter sprint in just 9.39 seconds.

That number immediately stands out because Usain Bolt’s legendary human 100 meter world record is 9.58 seconds. Bolt set that record at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, and no human has officially run faster. Tian Gong Ultra finished the same distance 0.19 seconds quicker, although its result belongs to robot competition and does not replace Bolt’s official human record.

The achievement becomes even more impressive when looking at how quickly humanoid technology is developing. At the previous World Humanoid Robot Games, the fastest reported 100 meter robot time was 21.50 seconds. Bringing that figure below 10 seconds represents a massive leap in running speed, balance, control, and mechanical performance.

Tian Gong Ultra was not alone near the top. Another humanoid from the Fenghuo Lightning team reportedly completed the distance in 9.47 seconds, while Unitree recorded 12.41 seconds.

Humanoid robots still have a long way to go in many areas, but raw athletic performance is improving remarkably fast.