WASHINGTON — A sitting volleyball player competing for Iran at the Paralympics is so tall that he was having to sleep on the floor while competing in Paris, according to his coach. But after organizers learned of the issue, they found a solution.
Standing at 8-foot-1, Morteza Mehrzadselakjani - better known as Mehrzad - is the world's second-tallest man and is the tallest ever Paralympian. He won gold with Iran's sitting volleyball team in the 2016 and 2020 editions of the Paralympics.
Last Friday, his coach revealed to Olympics.com that in Tokyo there was a special bed made for him but not in Paris so "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," Hadi Rezaeigarkani told Olympics.com. "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.”
The ongoing issue with Mehrzad's bed was apparently news to organizers at the Paralympics.
The International Paralympic Committee told multiple media outlets that the beds in the Paralympic village are modular in design and initially provided two extensions to the standard bed after receiving a request from Iran's Paralympic committee.
"No further request was made to Paris 2024 by the Iranian NPC, but the two extensions were not sufficient. Additional extensions have now been made available,” the IPC said in a media statement. It added that the situation "has now been resolved" after they learned about the situation in the media.
According to the IPC, Mehrzad was diagnosed with acromegaly, a condition that stems from excessive growth hormone. An injury from a bicycle accident when he was 15 caused his right leg to stop growing, and it is now 6 inches shorter than his left leg.
Iran will begin the semifinals on Thursday as part of its quest for a third straight gold medal in the sport. It would be Iran’s eighth Paralympic gold since it started competing in sitting volleyball just 10 Paralympics ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
