Watch: Moment robot attempts to beat Usain Bolt’s 100m record
A humanoid robot called Lightning has reportedly run 100 metres in 9.32 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s human world record of 9.58 seconds. The claim, made by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, highlights China’s push to demonstrate advances in robotics through competitive events.
Lightning competed at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, where more than 2,000 robots from 16 countries are expected to take part. Alongside sprinting, the games feature activities including boxing, football and household tasks such as folding laundry; Bolt set his 100m record in 2009.
- Robot reportedly ran 100m faster than Usain Bolt
- Honor says Lightning recorded 9.32 seconds
- Beijing games showcase China’s robotics investment
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters see the demonstration as a striking marker of progress in robotics, with possible benefits for disaster response, logistics and other tasks requiring speed, balance and mobility. They argue that public challenges can accelerate innovation and make technical advances tangible, while an android's performance need not diminish admiration for the extraordinary athletic achievement of a human sprinter.
The case against
Sceptics argue that presenting a robot's run alongside Usain Bolt's record risks a misleading comparison, because a regulated human athletics record involves fixed rules, independent timing and biological limits that do not apply in the same way to a machine. They may welcome the engineering achievement but contend that claims of having 'beaten' the record should be independently verified and framed carefully, both for accuracy and to preserve the distinction between sporting competition and a technology demonstration.