Iranian sitting volleyball player Morteza Mehrzad, 2.46m tall, finally got a bed that fit him after considering sleeping on the floor due to a lack of suitable equipment in the Paralympic Village.
Last Friday, Hadi Rezaeigarkani, the coach of Iran’s sitting volleyball team, told Olympics.com that his 36-year-old player planned to sleep on the floor, as he did not have a bed big enough. “In Tokyo (at the 2021 Games), we had a special bed, but unfortunately not here,” Rezaeigarkani said, adding that his player would “lie on the floor.”
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A third extension has been provided
At 8ft 10in (2.46m), Mehrzad is estimated to be the world’s second-tallest living man and the tallest athlete to ever compete at the Paralympic Games, according to the IPC. He was diagnosed at a young age with acromegaly, a condition caused by excess growth hormone.
In the Paralympic Village, all the athletes sleep in an eco-friendly bed, with mattresses made from recycled plastic and box springs made from cardboard, which are modular, like in Tokyo.
Contacted by AFP, the Paris 2024 organizing committee stated that two bed extensions had initially been provided to Morteza Mehrzad before the Games, at the request of the Iranian committee. “A third extension was requested by the Iranian Paralympic Committee, which was also provided to them,” the COJOP added. “Paris 2024 is in contact with the Iranian Paralympic Committee and the athlete now has the equipment necessary for his comfort,” it concluded.
Morteza Mehrzad won the last two Paralympic gold medals with Iran and received the Golden Ball as the best player in the world in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Iran has had a flawless run so far, with three wins in three games, before facing Egypt in the semi-final on Thursday.
- RMC Sport
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