His giant height (2.46m under the height gauge) gives him a certain advantage in his discipline (sitting volleyball) when it comes to pounding on serve or countering his opponents, but it does not guarantee the Iranian control tower the comfort of a soft bed to rest after the matches. The international volleyball player Morteza Mehrzad (36 years old) sleeps on the floor in the Olympic village, for lack of a bed adapted to his extraordinary measurements.
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“In Tokyo he had a special one, but not here, unfortunately. He lies on the floor,” Iranian team head coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani told Olympics.com. “He doesn’t have a special bed, but he has the most important goal in mind. He doesn’t care about lying on the floor or not eating enough. Either way, he intends to become a champion.”
The greatest Paralympic athlete of all time
Double reigning Olympic champion with the Iranian team, Morteza Mehrzad is aiming for a resounding treble in Paris. Iran has won seven of the nine tournaments in which the country has participated since the Seoul Games in 1988 and intends to add an 8th title to this dizzying list of achievements. To achieve this, the Iranian team has a trump card that other nations envy.
Suffering from acromegaly, a chronic disease caused when too much growth hormone is produced, Morteza Mehrzad is the greatest Paralympian of all time, as well as the second-tallest living man in the world (after Turkey’s Sultan Kösen, 2.51 metres). But what appears to be an advantage on the field is in reality a heavy burden to bear, which can lead to premature death.
A teenage cycling accident also stunted the growth of his right leg, which is 15 centimetres shorter than his left leg. “Before he became famous, when he left his house, everyone looked at him strangely. Now, everyone wants to take a picture. He has become a champion,” his coach rejoices to Libération. After two victories against Ukraine and Brazil, each time by a score of three sets to zero, Iran concludes its group stage this Tuesday against Germany. The semi-finals will take place on Thursday 5 September and the final the following day, Friday 6 September.
- RMC Sport
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