“Super Spike!” the PA announcer yells over the frenetic party atmosphere of the North Arena on the outskirts of Paris.
Morteza Mehrzad, sitting on the floor in a red top and black trousers, arms outstretched, let out a roar in celebration of another devastating hit that ended the rally instantly.
It was just one of 27 points, the most scored by a single player, that helped Iran defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina three sets to one (22-25, 30-28, 25-16, 25-14) in the final to win a record-extending eighth sitting volleyball Paralympic title. When Mehzad rose briefly to shake hands with his opponent at the end of the match, the net reached up to his stomach; his teammate reached up to his sternum.
Mehrzad scores another winner (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
At 8 feet 1 inch (2 meters 46 cm), the 36-year-old is taller than most doors and longer than most beds, making him the second tallest man in the world.
Born with gigantism, his disability caused some problems. Meherzad slept on the floor of the Paralympic Village. The Iranian team requested an extension to their beds before the competition, but the two extensions provided for standard athletes' beds were not enough. A third extension was given, and coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani and the Paris 2024 organizing committee confirmed this week that the problem had been resolved and Meherzad was sleeping comfortably in the village.
In fact, Rezaeigarkani, a 10-time Paralympic Games winner with eight gold medals, first as a coach and then as a player, noticed Mehrzad on an Iranian television program featuring people with physical disabilities. The coach contacted Mehrzad, who had injured his pelvis in a cycling accident at the age of 16 and whose right leg had stopped growing, leaving him in a wheelchair, and introduced him to the sport.
Rezaeigarkani said in a previous interview that Meherzad rarely appeared in public because his height and facial features – the latter caused by a hormone disorder called acromegaly – drew unusual attention.
“I was depressed but volleyball completely changed my life,” Meherzad told Esportivo. Rezaeigarkani believes the sport has given him hope.
Meherzad was a key player in Iran's gold medal run (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
While Mehrzad used to stand out in public and attract unwanted attention, his sporting prowess now puts him far ahead of his peers.
Obviously, having such a tall player on your team has a big advantage. When sitting, Mehrzad has a maximum reach of 6 feet 4 inches (1.96 meters). His hands extend 81 centimeters above the height of the net, allowing him to generate a lot of power when scoring winning shots. As an outside hitter, that's his job.
But Melzard needs to make sure his body is in the right place, and his big frame requires agility. With sweat dripping down his face, he presses his lower body to the floor, stretches his legs and sprints up and down the court, reading the quick changes of play.
Meherzad's reach extends 81cm above net height (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
Indeed, what was most noticeable on Friday night, beyond his menacing spikes, was how Meherzad was constantly limping around during changes of ends and timeouts, rarely getting up. “Morteza is the best spiker and one of the most important players in the world,” his close friend Meisam Ali Pour, the final's fastest server (73 kph), said after the match through a translator. “He knows what to do, but he can't do it himself.”
Bosnian silver medalist Stevan Crnobrnja considered Meherzad one of Iran's great players. They acknowledged that they couldn't do much about his height advantage and focused on neutralizing other players who were important to support him. Without one of his teammates to set or pass the ball, Meherzad was helpless.
Ali Pour, who had scored more points (39) than Mehrzad (28) en route to the final, stressed the need for teamwork. “Even if the best players in the world all played together, they would not be able to beat Iran,” he said.
Mehzad is taller than his teammates (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
Though expressive and animated on court, Meherzad – who did not give interviews – is shy and reserved off it and does not like to be the center of attention.
His teammates and coaches see him as part of a very united group. “I have 12 stars on my team and Morteza is one of them,” coach Reza Eigarkani said. “Morteza hasn't been on the team before and he won't be on the team (always).”
When asked what the secret to Iran's success was, Rezaigarkhan replied, “Hard work, hard work, hard work.”
(Top photo: Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
