(CNN)At 2 meters, 46 centimeters (eight foot, 1 inch) tall, Morteza Mehrzadselakjani is the not-so-secret limb of Iran's sitting volleyball team.
The tallest Paralympian successful past and the joint-second tallest antheral successful the world, Mehrzadselakjani, amended known arsenic Mehrzad, helped Iran successfully support its Paralympic rubric connected Saturday with a 3-1 (25-21 25-14 19-25 25-17) triumph against the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC).
Having present won 7 golden medals since 1988, the triumph further cements Iran's ascendant presumption successful the event.
Mehrzad, who was besides portion of the victorious squad astatine the Rio Paralympics 5 years ago, recorded 25 spikes, 2 blocks and an ace successful the last against the RPC -- the lone squad implicit the people of the tourney to instrumentality a acceptable disconnected Iran.
He led the scoring with 28 points for Iran, portion teammate Meisam Ali Pour contributed 17 and Viktor Milenin scored 30 for the RPC.
The 33-year-old Mehrzad started playing sitting volleyball for the nationalist squad six months earlier the Rio Games and acknowledged earlier the last however the athletics has changed his life.
"Before starting to play sitting volleyball, I was sitting astatine location due to the fact that I was ashamed of my height," helium told reporters aft Iran's semifinal triumph against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"After I was connected a TV program, the sitting volley programme asked maine to articulation and it was similar magic. It changed my beingness a lot."
Sitting connected the level with his arms raised, Mehrzad reaches a tallness of implicit six feet, making him an invaluable plus connected the volleyball court.
However, helium admitted that helium feels uncomfortable receiving truthful overmuch of the spotlight compared to his teammates.
"It is precise hard for me," said Mehrzad, who was diagnosed with acromegaly astatine a young property -- a information causing excess maturation hormone. As a teenager, a pelvis fracture caused by a bicycle mishap stopped his close limb from growing, making it shorter than his near and making it hard to walk.
"I'm conscionable taller than the different members of the team, but each of the squad is precise important, they each play their relation successful the champion way," helium added.
"I'm conscionable a (team) member, I besides effort to play successful the champion mode ... Yes, my carnal concern is precise important for sitting volleyball. I'm conscionable utilizing my potential."
Iran defeated Germany, Brazil, China and Bosnia and Herzegovina successful Tokyo earlier facing the RPC successful the final.
Its 5th triumph of the contention means that Iran has won 7 golds and 2 silvers successful sitting volleyball successful the past 9 Paralympic Games.
"Before coming to this match, I was capable to speech to my wife, my lad and my girl and told them that they should not interest excessively much," said Iran setter and skipper Davoud Alipourian.
"I told them to conscionable spot that we volition get the golden medal contiguous due to the fact that nary different squad deserves it more."
With the RPC taking silver, Bosnia and Herzegovina -- which claimed men's sitting volleyball golden astatine the 2004 and 2012 Games -- won bronze with triumph against Brazil.
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