China’s humanoid robot Lightning, developed by smartphone maker Honor, has clocked 9.32 seconds in a 100-metre trial, beating Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second human world record.
Lightning achieved the feat during a trial event ahead of the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, reaching a top speed of 14.5 metres per second.
Bolt’s 9.58-second mark, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remains the official human 100m world record; the robot’s performance is not a World Athletics record.
The robot later competed in the humanoid games, where another Chinese robot, Tiangong Ultra, recorded 9.39 seconds in the 100m event.
-AH