The first World Humanoid Robot Games began on Friday in Beijing with over 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they compete in events from the 100-metre hurdles to kung fu. Hundreds of robotics teams from 16 countries are going for gold at the Chinese capital’s National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Events include traditional sports as well as practical tasks such as cleaning.

Robots compete in a 3X3 football match

At one of the first events (five-a-side football), 10 robots the size of seven-year-olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse. However, in a 1500m race, domestic champion Unitree’s humanoid stomped along the track at an impressive clip, easily outpacing rivals. The fastest robot finished in 6 min 29.37 sec, a far cry from the human men’s world record of 3:26.00. One mechanical racer barrelled straight into a human operator. The robot remained standing while the human was knocked flat, though not injured.