{
  "id": 2565932,
  "title": "Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m world record in test run",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/chinese-robot-beats-usain-bolts-100m-world-record-in-test-run",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-22T11:32:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/__trashed-56/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a test run, a humanoid robot developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor has clocked a 100-meter sprint time of 9.32 seconds, surpassing the human world record held by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, according to China’s state broadcaster. Dubbed Lightning, the robot reached a top speed of 14.5 meters per second during the preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which commenced in Beijing on Saturday. This time surpassed Bolt's 9.58-second men’s 100-meter world record set at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009. China has been positioning humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry, with both government officials and businesses anticipating advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and hardware to expedite their use in manufacturing, logistics, and consumer applications. Earlier this year, Lightning also won the 21km Beijing half marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, outpacing the elite men’s human world-record pace. The robot stands at 169cm tall and had 95cm legs during the half marathon. However, researchers have since extended its legs by 10cm to 1.05m in preparation for the World Humanoid Robot Games, reported China Central Television.",
  "summary": "The robot, dubbed Lightning, reached a peak speed of 14.5m per second during a test.",
  "key_points": [
    "Honor's humanoid robot Lightning completes 100m in 9.32 seconds",
    "Surpasses Usain Bolt's 2009 world record of 9.58 seconds",
    "Anticipated strategic emerging industry for AI and hardware"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "SABC News",
        "title": "Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m world record in test run",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/chinese-robot-beats-usain-bolts-100m-world-record-in-test-run-2580066",
        "published": "2026-08-22T11:32:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Chinese Humanoid Robot Lightning Runs 100m In 9.32 Seconds, Surpassing Usain Bolt’s 9.58-Second World Record | VIDEO",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/chinese-humanoid-robot-lightning-runs-100m-in-9-32-seconds-surpassing",
        "published": "2026-08-22T11:57:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/chinese-robot-beats-usain-bolts-100m-world-record",
        "published": "2026-08-22T12:41:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record in test run",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/chinese-robot-beats-usain-bolts-100m-world-record-in-test-run-2575621",
        "published": "2026-08-22T12:43:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "'Lightning' the Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt's 100m world record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/lightning-the-chinese-robot-beats-usain-bolts-100m-world-record",
        "published": "2026-08-22T13:38:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Watch: Moment robot attempts to beat Usain Bolt's 100m record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/watch-moment-robot-attempts-to-beat-usain-bolts-100m-record",
        "published": "2026-08-22T14:10:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Chinese robot beats Usain Bolt’s 100m record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/chinese-robot-beats-usain-bolts-100m-record",
        "published": "2026-08-22T15:13:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}