World’s second-tallest man without a bed in Paris

Members of Australia’s Olympic swimming bemoaned the conditions at the athlete’s village in Paris a few weeks back but spare a thought for Para-athlete Morteza Mehrzadselakjani.
Mehrzadselakjani – better known as Mehrzad – stands at 2.46 metres tall (8 ft 0.85 inches) and is the world’s second tallest man, in addition to being a two-time Paralympic champion for Iran’s sitting volleyball team.
For a man so tall, one would think organisers would have a specially fitted bed for the man-mountain – right?
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Mehrzad #2 of Team Iran. Getty
Wrong. And that doesn’t bother him one bit, according to his coach.
“In Tokyo [2020], yes, they have made a special bed, but unfortunately not here [at Paris 2024],” Hadi Rezaeigarkani told Olympics.com. “He’s going to lie on the floor.
“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.
“In any way, he has the mind to become a champion.”
Mehrzad at the Paralympics in Tokyo. Getty
A gold at Paris 2024 would be a hat-trick for Mehrzad who made his Paralympic debut in 2016, also becoming the tallest athlete to ever compete at a Paralympic Games.
Iran is a powerhouse in the sport of sitting volleyball and has won seven of the nine tournaments they have competed at since Seoul 1988.
Mehrzadselakjani was discovered by coach Rezaeigarkani when he saw him on a reality TV show, speaking about the challenges he faces in everyday life. He reached out to the network to ask for a way to contact him.
Mehrzad against Team Russia. Getty
The Para-athlete was diagnosed with acromegaly at a young age, a rare condition that causes excess growth in parts of the body.
He was also in a bicycle accident as a teenager which led to an injured pelvis, stunting growth in his left leg by six inches.
“I believe that Morteza has spent 11 years in his room, in his house, without going out,” Rezaeigarkani said.
“Because he is the tallest man, when he wanted to leave the home and come outside, unfortunately, he was not satisfied because so many people [stared at] him. But nowadays all people are going to look at him as a champion.”
Mehrzad Mehravan # 1, Morteza Mehrzad # 2 and of Team Islamic Republic of Iran. Getty
Mehrzad joined the national team in 2015 and went to his first Paralympic Games, at Rio 2016, six months later. That resulted in gold, with the team defending their title at Tokyo 2020 with Mehrzad grabbing the spotlight as one of their key players.
When sitting down with his arms raised, Mehzrad is over six feet tall, proving hard to overcome for rival teams.
His powerful spikes make “the kind giant” a formidable foe for Iran’s opponents. Even when sitting down on the court, with his arms raised Mehrzad is over six feet tall.
“Morteza can be considered the best player on our team. As a matter of fact, 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 know him and respect him,” Rezaeigarkani said.
“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.”