• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
World’s second tallest man reveals he has to sleep on floor at Paralympics for sad reason

Home> News> World News

Published 16:24 1 Sep 2024 GMT+1

World’s second tallest man reveals he has to sleep on floor at Paralympics for sad reason

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, known as Mehrzad, is now hoping to become a Paralympic champion for the third time

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

The second tallest man in the world has hopes of adding a third win to his roster at this year's Paralympics, but has had to sleep on the floor in Paris, according to his coach.

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, who is more better known as Mehrzad, is already a two-time Paralympic champion and hopes to become one a third time in Paris.

The Paralympian, who represents Iran in sitting volleyball, is 8ft 0.85in tall and is the tallest athlete to compete in the Paralympics.

Mehrzad giving his gold medal the obligatory bite after claiming victory in Tokyo in 2020 (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Mehrzad giving his gold medal the obligatory bite after claiming victory in Tokyo in 2020 (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Advert

He is known as a spiker in volleyball, an offensive position which attempts to hit the ball hard and fast towards the ground to try and score for their team.

Unfortunately one factor has meant that the highly successful sportsman has had to sleep on the floor during his stay in Paris.

At Tokyo Mehrzad had a special bed designed to accommodate his above-average height.

Unfortunately, his coach claims that this bed has not been provided in Paris meaning he has had to sleep on the floor.

Advert

Mehrzad is the tallest person to compete at the Paralympics (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
Mehrzad is the tallest person to compete at the Paralympics (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Nonetheless, his coach has said that he is not letting this get in the way of a victory at the games.

Head coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani told Olympics.com: "He doesn't have a special bed, but he has got the most important aim in his mind.

"It doesn't matter for him whether he will lay on the floor or he's not going to have enough to eat. He has the mind to become a champion."

Advert

Mehrzad had a cycling accident as a teenager which means that growth in his right leg was limited.

He had already been diagnosed with a condition which accelerated growth in other parts of his body, meaning that his right leg is around six inches shorter than his left.

Mehrzad training with the Iranian sitting volleyball team (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
Mehrzad training with the Iranian sitting volleyball team (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

The athlete debuted on the Paralympic team in 2016, telling the Iranian Paralympic committee: "Before I started playing sitting volleyball, people would look at me with open mouths.

Advert

"After joining the sport, and winning a gold medal at the Paralympics, people are now happy to meet me and take selfies!"

His coach said: "If you go back to Morteza when he was 12 years old, no one had any consideration for him, but when he became a sitting volleyball player, everyone, all around the world knows him and respects him.

"I would like to give you one sentence - I believe that each person has got potential in the world and we have to discover it."

Featured Image Credit: Getty/DIMITAR DILKOFF/Getty/ATTA KENARE

Topics: News, World News, Iran, Paralympics, Sport

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Chipotle customer finds receipt from 10 years ago and the comparison is making people want to cry

    Chipotle customers are understandably upset

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    100-year-old identical twins reveal secret to long life after celebrating milestone

    Bernice Frank and Gloria Lipman shared their wisdom for reaching 100-years-old

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Forensic psychiatrist gives chilling theory behind Bryan Kohberger’s motive after he confessed to Idaho murders

    Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to murder earlier this week

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Body found in search for man who vanished on vacation as police release chilling details

    Brian Tarrence was with his wife in Turks and Caicos before being reported missing days later

    News
  • First openly transgender athlete makes history with confirmed selection for Paris Paralympics 2024
  • The Simpsons star Hank Azaria reveals ‘sad’ reason he could be replaced
  • Olympic athlete who competed without a country explains why he did it
  • Raygun reveals the inspiration behind breakdancing performance which scored zero at Olympic games