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Paralympics: World's second-tallest man to get a bigger bed after sleeping on floor

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani hitting a volleyball over a net. Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani is the tallest athlete ever to compete at the Paralympics

Organisers at the Paralympics have told Newsround they will provide a new bed for the world's second tallest man, who is competing at the games.

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani - a sitting volleyball player for Iran - is so tall, that until now there hasn't been a bed big enough for him and he's had to sleep on the floor.

A two-time Paralympic champion, Morteza is hoping for more success in Paris and is one of the Iranian team's star players.

At just over eight feet tall, he's currently the second tallest man in the world and in 2016, he became the tallest athlete to ever compete at a Paralympic Games.

Three years ago, at the delayed Tokyo 2020 games, Morteza had a special bed made because of his height, but his coach complained that he wasn't provided with a similar bed at the Paralympics this year.

鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 have a special bed, but he has got the most important aim in his mind. It doesn鈥檛 matter for him whether he will lay on the floor or he鈥檚 not going to have enough to eat. In any way, he has the mind to become a champion," his coach told Olympics.com.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Iran won the sitting volleyball title at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo

A Paralympics spokesperson told Newsround they had told Iran's National Paralympic Committee (NPC) they could provide two extensions for the standard beds at the Paralympic village after Iran's NPC put in a request.

They also said no further requests were made by the Iranian NPC, but that it seems two extensions were not big enough for Morteza.

"Since learning about the situation in the media, we are making available additional extensions. The situation will be resolved today." the spokesperson said.

Despite the situation with the bed, it seems Morteza and his team have their minds focused on bigger things.

Iran has won an incredible seven out of the nine sitting volleyball tournaments they've competed in.

They'll be hoping to win their eighth in Paris this year.