Saturday, April 18, 2009

World's New Tallest Man

From AOL News:
The official world's tallest man has some stiff competition -- from within his own country.
Bao Xishun of China, who stands at 7 feet, 9 inches tall, is recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest man on the globe. But doctors in Tianjin, China, said they measured a man named Zhao Liang at 8 feet, 1 inch, BBC News reported.
Bao was first named the world's tallest man in 2006. He was trumped by Leonid Stadnik of Ukraine in 2007, who was measured at 8 feet, 5 inches. But Bao reclaimed the title in 2008 when Stadnik refused to be re-measured under new Guinness guidelines.
Doctors measured new rival Zhao, a former basketball player, at a hospital where he received successful surgery for a foot injury. He would have to be confirmed by Guinness to officially be named world's tallest.
Zhao's stature may be atypical, but his mother's concerns for him aren't.
"I am so worried about his marriage, job and his health that my hair has turned white," his mother, Wang Keyun, told the Xinhua news agency.

No comments: