Humanoid robots showcased remarkable athletic abilities at the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, surpassing human benchmarks in speed and jumping. However, the event also highlighted the challenges these machines still face in performing reliably in real-world environments. Held from August 22nd to 26th at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, the five-day competition featured 2,056 robots from 666 teams across 16 countries. These robots competed in both athletic events like football and martial arts, as well as practical tasks such as warehouse logistics, factory assembly, and charging operations. Several robots set new records in human-like athletic events, though these achievements are not considered replacements for human records. Instead, they fall under robot-specific categories and conditions. Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, broke records in the 100-meter sprint, 400 meters, 1,500 meters, and high jump. In the 100-meter race, Tiangong Ultra completed the distance in 8.64 seconds, nearly a second faster than Usain Bolt’s world record. In the 400 meters, it finished in 38.15 seconds, significantly faster than the human record. In the 1,500 meters, it completed the race in 2 minutes and 21.6 seconds, far below the human benchmark. In the high jump, a different robot, X-Humanoid, cleared 2.88 meters, a massive improvement over the previous robot record of 0.95 meters from 2025. However, the human high jump record, set by Javier Sotomayor in 1993, was achieved in a running high jump, a different event with different techniques. Scott Walter, director of Robotics Research Diligence at RoboStrategy, pointed out that many of these achievements came from optimizing robots for single tasks, reducing complexity to minimize points of failure. While robots excelled in specific events, they struggled with more diverse tasks. Many robots were only capable of moving in straight lines and had difficulty stopping or turning without crashing. Some robots were seen colliding with barriers, falling, or even catching fire, underscoring the need for greater reliability. Beyond athletic events, robots were tested on practical tasks such as connecting charging cables, handling objects, using tools, and performing simulated industrial or service work. These tasks often require not just strength or speed, but the ability to perceive objects, judge their positions, apply the right amount of force, and adapt when things go wrong. Over 40% of the competition’s events required robots to operate independently, without human control. One of the biggest challenges is developing dexterous and robust hands, as this is the part of the robot that interacts directly with the environment. While specialization is easier to achieve, creating a robot that can handle a wide range of tasks remains a significant hurdle. The decathlon, which tests a variety of abilities, may be the next big challenge for humanoid robots.