In a historic performance that has reverberated through the global deaf sports community, Dominican speedster Christopher Melenciano has etched his name into the record books, clocking a blistering 10.17 seconds in the men’s 100-meter final at the 23rd Japanese Athletics Championship for the Deaf to claim a new world record.
Melenciano’s electrifying run beat the previous 100m world benchmark for deaf athletes, a 10.21-second mark that had stood untouched for 26 years after being set by American sprinter Wendell Gaskin Jr. back in 1996. The Dominican contender dominated the race from start to finish, outpacing a stacked international field to secure the top spot on the podium. Sweden’s Simon Sharapo took second place with a time of 10.58 seconds, while Colombia’s Gian Marco Andrade Mosquera rounded out the top three with an 11.01-second finish.
This breakthrough 100m record adds another accolade to Melenciano’s already impressive athletic resume. Hailing from the Capotillo neighborhood of Santo Domingo, the sprinter already proven his elite standing at the 2022 Deaflympics hosted in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, where he walked away with two medals: gold in the 200-meter sprint and silver in the 400-meter event.
Most recently, Melenciano further cemented his status as one of the Dominican Republic’s top deaf track talents by contributing to a gold medal win at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games held in his home country’s capital, Santo Domingo. He teamed up with elite teammates Marileidy Paulino, Anabel Medina and Erick Sánchez to take top honors in the mixed 4×400-meter relay, bringing the host nation another well-earned gold.