Chinese manufacturer Unitree Robotics captured the first gold medal awarded at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games on 15 August, winning the 1,500-meter track event in 6 minutes 34.40 seconds. The company’s H1 model, entered by wholly owned subsidiary Beijing Lingyi Technology, finished roughly twice as fast as the nearest competitor, according to event organisers. The victory gives Unitree an early lead at the week-long competition, which is designed to benchmark athletic performance among bipedal robots. While the robot’s time is still well behind the human world record of 3:26, engineers said the result sets a new mark for autonomous humanoid machines and highlights rapid progress in actuator efficiency, balance control and power management. China has made humanoid robotics a national priority alongside artificial intelligence, and domestic firms are using high-profile showcases such as the World Humanoid Robot Games to demonstrate technological maturity and attract commercial partners. Unitree, founded in Hangzhou in 2016, supplies legged robots for logistics, inspection and research and has been expanding into human-shaped platforms for industrial and consumer use.