World’s second tallest man has to sleep on floor at Paralympics
The world’s second tallest man is competing in the Paralympics – but he is so tall, he has to sleep on the floor.
Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, better known as Mehrzad, is 8ft 0.85in tall and a two-time Paralympic champion in sitting volleyball, representing Iran.
But even though he had a custom-made bed for the Tokyo Paralympics, he’s having to sleep on the floor in Paris, according to his coach.
“He doesn’t have a special bed, but he has got the most important aim in his mind,” head coach 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. He has the mind to become a champion.”
Iran has won seven of the nine tournaments they have competed at since their first try at Seoul 1988.
Mehrzad fends off a ball from Denys Bytchenko from Ukraine on 30 August. Pic: AP
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.
Read more: Paralympics opening ceremony – in pictures
Coach Rezaeigarkani was the one who discovered him when the future athlete appeared on an Iranian reality TV show in 2011 to talk about the challenges he faces in everyday life.
A bicycle accident in Mehrzad’s teenage years resulted in an injured pelvis and stunted the growth of his right leg.
Mehrzad competing at the Tokyo Paralympics. File pic: AP
He had already been diagnosed with a condition that causes excess growth in parts of the body and his right leg is now about six inches shorter than his left leg.
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The shy 36-year-old athlete sometimes uses a wheelchair to move and spent five solitary years in his house, too embarrassed to come out.
“Before I started playing sitting volleyball, people would look at me with open mouths,” he told the Iranian Paralympic Committee after his debut in 2016.
“After joining the sport, and winning a gold medal at the Paralympics, people are now happy to meet me and take selfies!”
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His powerful spikes make Mehrzard formidable. Even when sitting down on the court, with his arms raised, Mehrzad is over six feet tall.
He was named the most valuable player and best spiker at Tokyo 2020, and best spiker at the 2022 world championships.
“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 knows him and respects him,” his coach 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.”
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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