Usain Bolt’s Record Broken by Robots, Then He Gets Engaged

Usain Bolt’s 100-metre world record of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009, was surpassed by a Chinese humanoid robot that ran the distance in 9.39 seconds on Saturday at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The robot, named Tiangong Ultra, beat Bolt’s record by 0.19 seconds and also outpaced the other machines in the heat.

Did robots finally outpace Usain Bolt?

The Beijing event saw Tiangong Ultra clock a time of 9.39 seconds, while a second robot, Lightning, finished in 9.47 seconds. A third machine, from Unitree Robotics, ran the race in 12.41 seconds. The record-breaking run was televised live, and the BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker reported the moment on the track.

The robot that beat Bolt’s record was built by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre. In a separate test run, smartphone maker Honor claimed its robot could run 100 metres in 9.32 seconds, a figure that was not achieved in the competition. The X-Humanoid machine, another entrant, finished in 9.39 seconds but crashed into a cushion at the turn, breaking into pieces.

The event also featured a standing high-jump contest, where a robot reached 2.88 metres, surpassing the human record of 2.45 metres set by Javier Sotomayor in 1993.

What happened at Usain Bolt’s 40th birthday?

On Friday, the eight-time Olympic champion turned 40 in Kingston, Jamaica. During the celebration at the One Belmont, Bolt proposed to his longtime girlfriend Kasi Bennett. The engagement took place on stage, with Bolt wearing a checkered suit and presenting a five-carat oval-shaped diamond ring. Bennett, in a gold dress with silver sequin detailing, reacted with tears and laughter.

The proposal was captured by local news outlets Jamaica Observer and The Gleaner, and the photos were shared on Instagram. Bennett posted a video of herself dancing while showing off the new ring, and a friend, Nikolette Williams, added a supportive message to her story.

The event was attended by family and friends, and the couple celebrated with an emotional hug and a toast to future happiness.

• Robots ran 100m in 9.39, 9.47, and 12.41 seconds.
• Usain Bolt’s record of 9.58 seconds was surpassed by 0.19 seconds.
• Bolt proposed to Kasi Bennett on his 40th birthday.
• The robot that crashed at the turn was X-Humanoid.