Iran’s Morteza Mehrzad was arguably the most noticed athlete at the Rio Paralympics, but the 8-foot, 1-inch sitting volleyball player was bothered by the attention, according to the International Paralympic Committee.
“I am not the whole team, I am only taller than the others,” Mehrzad said, according to the report.
Initial widespread media reports about the 29-year-old during the Rio Games quoted Iran’s coach, but not the player. Mehrzad’s backstory was compelling even without his input.
Mehrzad, the tallest person in his country, was noticed by an Iran sitting volleyball coach while appearing on TV about five years ago.