Turk Takes Title of World's Tallest Man

Al-zakir · Sep 18, 2009

The world's tallest man - who also has the largest hands and feet - has been named by Guinness World Records for the launch of its 2010 book.

At 8ft 1in (2.47m), Sultan Kosen, from Turkey, is about 4in (10cm) taller than previous title-holder Bao Xishun.

The 27-year-old's hands measure 10.8in (27.5cm) and his feet 14.3in (36.5cm).

Mr Kosen, whose height is due to the medical condition pituitary gigantism, said he hoped his new-found fame would bring him love for the first time.

"The first thing I want to do is have a car that I can fit in, but more than that I want to get married," he said.

"Up until now it's been really difficult to find a girlfriend. I've never had one, they were usually scared of me. I'm hoping now I will find one."

He went on: "Hopefully now that I'm famous I'll be able to meet lots of girls. I'd like to get married."

I can't go shopping like normal people, I have to have things made specially and sometimes they aren't always as fashionable
Sultan Kosen

One of the difficulties of being so tall is getting clothes which fit and Mr Kosen wore a specially-made suit to meet journalists, which was one of the first outfits he has owned that is the right size.

He also had to have a three-metre-long bed made.

Mr Kosen said: "The most difficult things are, for example, that I can't fit into a normal car. When I get into a car, it's a really tight fit.

"I can't go shopping like normal people, I have to have things made specially and sometimes they aren't always as fashionable.

"The other thing is that ceilings are low and I have to bend down through doorways."

Comparison of tallest men

But his height does have its upsides.

He said: "The good thing about being so tall is that I can see people from a long distance. The other thing is at home they use my height to change the light bulbs and hang the curtains, things like that."

Mr Kosen is the first person in more than a decade to be more than 8ft in height, a spokesman for Guinness World Records said.

He grew normally until he was 10, but then a tumour caused him to develop a medical condition called pituitary gigantism.

The tumour was removed last year and his growth stopped.

His visit to the UK is the first time he has travelled outside Turkey, and he will go on to visit the US and Germany.

Earlier this year, Zhao Liang from China thought he might be a contender for the world record after he was treated for an injury in hospital.

Staff there measured the former basketball player at 2.46m (just under 8ft 1in) in height.

Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk was briefly awarded the title in 2007, but it was returned to Bao Xishun when Mr Stadnyk declined to be measured under new guidelines, which required him to be independently measured by Guinness World Records adjudicators.