Morteza Mehrzad, the tallest Paralympian in history, faced a challenging situation at the Paris 2024 Games on September 3, as he had to sleep on the floor after not having a bed, he was able to fit in.
However, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that the issue has now been resolved.
Mehrzad height comes with special requirements. Iran’s head coach, Hadi Rezaeigarkani, explained that while they had a custom bed made for Mehrzad during the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, a similar arrangement was not made for him in Paris.
“In Tokyo [2020], they made a special bed for him, but unfortunately, not here [at Paris 2024. He’s going to lie on the floor,” Hadi told Olympics.
“He doesn’t have a special bed, but he has got the most important aim in his mind. It doesn’t matter to him whether he will lie on the floor or he’s not going to have enough to eat. In any way, he has the mind to become a champion.”
Morteza Mehrzad Selakjani (top center) poses for a picture with his Iranian teammates during a training session of the men’s sitting volleyball team. Photo/ CNN
Mehrzad, who stands at two meters and 46 centimeters (eight feet one inch) tall, is not only the tallest Paralympian in history but also ranks as the tallest man in Iran and the joint second tallest man in the world.
Morteza Mehrzad debut in Sitting Volleyball
He is a vital member of Iran’s dominant men’s sitting volleyball team and has played a key role in securing gold medals at the last two Paralympic Games.
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Mehrzad took up sitting volleyball in 2011 when a coach spotted him on television and identified his raw potential thanks to his overwhelming height advantage.
After playing for various club sides, he was called up to the national side in March 2016 and has not looked back since.
He also helped Iran return to the top of the Paralympic podium at Rio 2016 after eight years following a 3-1 victory over title-holders Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mehrzad was the competition’s second-best spiker as Iran won their sixth Paralympic gold in the last eight Games.
With his involvement, Iran regained the world title after eight years in the Netherlands in 2018.
Iran defeated defending champions Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 in the final, with set scores of 25-18, 25-13, and 25-20 with Mehrzad at his dominant best.
With the highest block reach of 1.96m and the highest spike reach of 2.30m, coaches from opposing teams have had to rethink their strategies as a result of his presence on the court.
Sitting on the floor with his arms raised, Mehrzad reaches a height of over six feet, making him an invaluable asset on the volleyball court. At the peak of his fingertips, he can block shots at more than seven feet.
Even before Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, 36, joined the national team nearly a decade ago, the Iranian sitting volleyball program had established itself as one of the foremost dynasties in the Paralympics.
The team has won seven of the past nine gold medals since 1988, with silver medals earned in Athens in 2004 and London in 2012.
Year after year, Iran dominates international competitions, having claimed eight world championships since 1984.
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Acromegaly Diagnosis
Mehrzadselakjani was diagnosed with acromegaly, a condition that stems from excessive growth hormones.
He normally uses a wheelchair or crutches to get around as a result of a serious pelvis fracture suffered in a bicycle accident as a 15-year-old.
The injury caused his right leg to stop growing, and it is now six inches shorter than his left leg.
He uses a wheelchair or crutches following a serious pelvis fracture suffered from a teen bicycle crash.
An Iranian journalist who has followed Morteza Mehrzad’s career for a decade remarked, “He just keeps getting better and better. He is a natural athlete,” the reporter said.
“He’s a shy person, doesn’t like to do interviews, and is very humble.”
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