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The beds that were designed for the Olympics in Paris were a hot topic of conversation in the lead-up to the event, and they’re making headlines once again due to the unfortunate issue an 8’1″ volleyball player representing Iran at the Paralympics encountered after arriving in the city.
Organizers at the Paris Olympics made a pledge to prioritize sustainability ahead of the competition in 2024, and athletes who stayed at the Olympic Village were forced to forgo air conditioning while sleeping on cardboard beds that attracted plenty of attention due to rumors they were partially chosen to deter a certain type of physical activity between attendees.
The athletes who headed to the City of Lights for the Paralympics were greeted by the same amenities, and while you might think officials would have gone out of their way to meet the needs of competitors who require special accommodations, that was apparently not the case with 8’1″ Iranian volleyball player Morteza Mehrzad.
Mehrzad—who is the second tallest person on the planet due to the genetic condition acromegaly but grapples with complications of a bicycle accident that led to his right leg being six inches shorter than his left— headed to Paris in the hopes of securing his third consecutive gold medal as a member of Iran’s sitting volleyball team.
According to Sky News, Mehrzad was able to take advantage of a custom bed capable of fitting his massive frame when he competed in Tokyo in 2021, but the 36-year-old was resigned to sleeping on the floor in his room after he was unable to get the same treatment at the Paralympics in Paris.
Mehrzad’s coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani made it clear he’s not overly concerned with how that setback will impact the big man’s performance, saying:
“He doesn’t have a special bed, but he has got the most important aim in his mind.
“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.”
That’s the kind of mentality that’s helped Iran construct a sitting volleyball dynasty, and when you consider the team hasn’t lost a single set while going undefeated in group play so far, it would appear Mehrzad is pretty unfazed.