The races turned out to be particularly spectacular. Humanoids stumbled over each other, crashed into protective mats at high speed, unexpectedly lost their balance, and literally folded in half. Some machines could not continue the competition after falling. ### Football Proved Too Difficult The football field posed no less problems. Robots missed the ball, collided with both opponents and their own teammates, and occasionally fell for no apparent reason. In boxing, the events resembled a comedy more than a duel at times. The machines threw punches at the air, lost their balance, and even fell out of the ring. There were also adventures in weightlifting: some participants could not handle the barbell and dropped it on themselves. Certain robots deviated so much from their intended trajectory that they headed straight for the judges' tables. ### Strange Gait Proved Effective However, not all unusual movements of the humanoids were due to technical problems. Some robots developed a rather peculiar manner of movement on their own. For instance, [Tiangong Omni used](https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FaahPYQQc/) an unusual running style discovered through numerous simulations and iterations. From the outside, the movements of the machine might have looked strange, but this technique turned out to be effective for it. ### There Were Records Too The games showcased not only the weak points of modern robotics but also impressive technological progress. One of the most discussed results was the performance of the robot Lightning. It was reported that it covered the distance in **9.32 seconds** — a time that looks impressive even against Usain Bolt's world record in the 100 meters — **9.58 seconds**.  At the same time, direct comparisons of such results should be made cautiously: the length and conditions of the specific distance, starting rules, and competition format matter. The Beijing games ultimately revealed two sides of modern robotics. Humanoids are already capable of running, playing team sports, and performing quite complex movements, but one misstep can still end in a spectacular fall in front of the audience.
