Morteza Mehrzadselakjan, an Iranian sitting volleyball player, is determined to win a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympics despite a little discomfort.
The 36-year-old athlete doesn’t fit into the beds at Olympic Village in Paris. At eight feet and one inch, he is the second-tallest man in the world and the tallest Paralympic competitor in history. However, he’s getting by with a straightforward fix.
On Friday, August 30, Hadi Rezaeigarkani, the team’s head coach, said to Olympics.com, “He’s going to lie on the floor.”
The coach says Mehrzadselakjan has been given special consideration at previous Games, but he is not going to have that opportunity this time around. Rezaeigarkani clarified, “Yes, they have made a special bed in Tokyo [2020], but sadly not here [at Paris 2024].”
The coach did clarify, though, that his best player isn’t being affected by this inconvenience.
“He doesn’t have a particular bed, but he is focused on the most significant goal. For him, it makes little difference if he ends up on the floor or goes without food. He have the mental capacity to excel in any capacity.”
Mehrzadselakjani is hoping to make it three straight Paralympics in Paris. He was discovered by the coach through an appearance on a reality TV show, and he joined the Iranian sitting volleyball team in 2015. Now, he says he is turning “limitations into opportunities.” Mehrzadselakjani suffered a broken pelvis during a bicycle accident as a teenager, which caused his right leg to stop growing and become shorter than his left.
Before the national team or the Paralympic Games began on August 28, he told AFP on August 27 that he had always been referred to as the “tall boy.” “I found that sitting volleyball really benefited me. I could make excellent use of the physique that I used to think was quite poor. It has aided me in this game.”
Since 1988, Iran has competed in the Paralympic Games for sitting volleyball and has won an incredible seven of the nine times. As a vital member of the current squad, Mehrzadselakjani has earned the moniker “the Fatal Weapon” in his native nation.
Even though Mehrzadselakjani is pleased with his contributions to the squad, he is quick to point out that his colleagues should also receive equal recognition for their efforts.
“I appreciate being called the best in the game, but I’m not,” he stated. “Our guys are all the best…” and together we form the world’s greatest team.”