Looks like C++ is still one of the performance kings among current programming languages. Can't say I enjoy using it though.
It also looks like Go and Scala have a long way to go on compiler optimization. Not surprising, since they're young languages compared to C++ and Java, and it's a decent amount of work to optimize the higher-order constructs they provide.
It'll take a pretty significant shift to change this. Something like 100+ core cpus each running slow, might be such a shift.
Being surprised that C++ is faster than newer languages which provide all types of abstraction is like being surprise assembly is faster than C++.
All the C++ hate is blown way out of proportion. C++ is a great tool when you need performance. Tuning C++ isn't that difficult either. Contrary to what a commenter said above, steering clear of C++ at all costs is not what you should be doing. You should know when and how to use C++. It's useful more often than many people here seem to think. Especially if you develop for mobile devices.