Christopher Melenciano sets new world record in 100-meter race for deaf athletes

Dominican sprinter Christopher Melenciano set a new world record in the 100-meter event for deaf athletes, clocking 10.17 seconds at the 23rd Japanese Athletics Championship for the Deaf.

The performance surpassed the previous world record of 10.21 seconds, set by Wendell Gaskin Jr. in 1996.

Melenciano, a two-time Deaflympics medalist, won the race ahead of Sweden’s Simon Sharapo, who finished second in 10.58 seconds, and Colombia’s Gian Marco Andrade Mosquera, who placed third in 11.01 seconds.

The athlete from Capotillo, Santo Domingo, won gold in the 200 meters and silver in the 400 meters at the 2022 Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil.

More recently, Melenciano was part of the Dominican team that won gold in the mixed 4×400-meter relay at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, alongside Marileidy Paulino, Anabel Medina and Erick Sánchez.