“SUPER SPIKE!” the PA announcer bellows inside the electric party atmosphere of the Nord Arena on the outskirts of Paris.
Arms outstretched, Morteza Mehrzad, sitting on the floor in his red top and black pants, lets out a roar to celebrate yet another penalty kick that immediately ends the rally.
It was just one of the 27 points, the most by any player, that helped Iran win a record-extending eighth Sitting Volleyball Paralympic title after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final three sets to one (22-25, 30-) . 28, 25-16, 25-14). When Mehrzad briefly stood to shake hands with his opponent at the end of the game, the net came up to his belly. His teammates came up level with his sternum.
Mehrzad knocks home another winner (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Standing at 8ft 1in (2m 46cm) – bigger than most doors, longer than most beds – the 36-year-old is the second tallest man in the world.
Born with gigantism, his disability presented some problems. Mehrzad slept on the floor in the Paralympic village because the extensions provided to a standard athlete’s bed were insufficient, an issue his coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani – who won eight gold medals from his 10 Paralympic games, first as a coach and then as a trainer. player – confirmed this week has been resolved.
It was actually Rezaeigarkani who spotted Mehrzad on an Iranian television program featuring people with physical abnormalities. The coach contacted Merhzad – who uses a wheelchair after injuring his pelvis in a cycling accident at the age of 16, stopping the growth of his right leg – and got him into the sport.
Mehrzad rarely went out in public, Rezaeigarkani said in previous interviews, because his height and facial features — the latter caused by acromegaly, a hormonal disorder — attracted strange looks.
“I was a depressed guy and my life changed completely with volleyball,” Mehrzad told Esportivo. Rezaeigarkani believes the sport has given him hope.
Mehrzad was a key player in Iran’s gold medal quest (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
After standing out in public and receiving unwanted attention, Mehrzad is now head and shoulders above the rest courtesy of his sporting prowess.
Obviously, there are significant advantages to having such a tall player on your team. When seated, Mehrzad has a maximum reach of 6ft 4in (1.96m). His hand extends 81 cm above the height of the net, allowing him to generate immense power as he kills points with winning shots. As an outside hitter, that’s his job.
Mehrzad has to make sure his body is in the right position, though, and such a large frame requires skillful movement. Sweat drips on his face, he pushes his lower body on the floor, legs outstretched, up and down the court quickly, reading the quick exchange of a game.
Mehrzad’s reach extends 81 cm above the height of the net (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In fact, as well as his menacing spikes, what stood out most on Friday night is that Mehrzad, at the change of ends or time-outs, was always moving with shuffling and rarely standing up. “Morteza is the best spiker and one of the most important players in the world,” said his best friend and the fastest server of the final (73km/h), Meisam Ali Pour, speaking through a translator after the game. “He knows what to do, but he can’t do it by himself.”
Silver medalist Stevan Crnobrnja of Bosnia viewed Mehrzad as just another of Iran’s great players. They accepted that they couldn’t do much about his height advantage, but focused on neutralizing others who were crucial in setting him up. If one of his teammates does not place or pass the ball, Mehrzad is helpless.
Ali Pour, who, going into the final, contributed more points (39) than Mehrzad (28), emphasized the need for teamwork. “If all the best players in the world play together, they won’t be able to beat Iran,” he said.
Mehrzad towers over his teammates (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Expressive and lively on the court, off the court, Mehrzad, who was not available for an interview, is shy, reserved and does not like attention.
His teammates and coach see him as just one member of a tight-knit group. “My team has 12 stars, Morteza is one of them,” said coach Rezaeigarkani. “We didn’t have Morteza before and we won’t (always) have him in the future.”
Asked what is the secret of Iran’s success, Rezaeigarkan replied: “Work, work, work.”
(Top photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
