When it comes to sports, size matters… usually. And these athletes win based on their height alone. We’re going to find out who the tallest athlete of all time is, and how tall they really are.
Konishiki Yasokichi – 287kg
Officially the greatest rikishi to ever grace the sumo world, Konishiki Yasokichi earned nicknames such as “Dump Truck” and “Meat Bomb” due to his incredible peak weight of 633 pounds. Fans weren’t used to seeing foreigners (non-Japanese athletes) succeed in the sport. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native didn’t need a professional fitness trainer to become so successful. He won the top division three times and nearly became the first foreign yokozuna, or grand champion.
Gheorghe Muresan – 2.31m
Although he wasn’t one of the best players in basketball history, it’s safe to say he’s put in plenty of gym workouts. At 1.7 meters tall, Romanian Gheorghe Muresan is officially tied with Manute Bol as the tallest basketball player in NBA history. But the feat doesn’t end there. Muresan is officially the tallest human being in the entire European Union. Did you know he made a cameo appearance in the music video for Eminem’s hit “My Name Is”?
Hafthor Julius “Thor” Bjornsson – 2.05m, 181kg
These days, Hafthor Julius Bjornsson is probably best known for his role as Ser Gregor Glegane, aka The Mountain, on HBO’s Game of Thrones. However, before his character experienced many moments of horror and pure violence on the show, Bjornsson starred in World’s Strongest Man. For six consecutive years, this man from Reykjavik, Iceland, placed in the top three. At six feet two and six feet three inches tall, he’s not called “The Mountain” for nothing. Bjornsson has clearly put a lot of use to his home gym equipment!
Maria Sharapova – 1.87m
People often forget that Maria Yuryevna Sharapova is one of the greatest tennis players in the world. Born in Russia, she moved to the United States in the early 1990s and, since 2001, has worked hard in her gym and fitness center, which has allowed her to establish herself on the WTA Tour. Her career can be summed up as something of a paradox. Although her time on the court has been marred by numerous injuries, she has made multiple comebacks and still plays professionally to this day.
Peter Crouch – 2m
Center forward Peter Crouch is one of the tallest players in world football. Over a career spanning nearly twenty years, “Crouchy,” as he is known to his teammates, has played for numerous clubs, including Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, and Tottenham Hotspur, to name a few. He has been with his current club, Stoke City, since 2011 and, at the age of 36, remains a vital player for the club. His skeletal, six-foot-one frame defies the notion that all athletes must be toned and muscular. Crouchy doesn’t need a personal trainer.
Hong-Man Choi – 2.13m
Nicknamed the “Korean Colossus,” the “Korean Monster,” and the “Technological Goliath,” Hong-Man Choi has worked hard to become a master of kickboxing and MMA. Although his track record has faltered recently, Choi remains a national treasure in South Korea and continues to compete in the ROAD Fighting Championship. He has made numerous appearances on Korean television in recent years, guest-starring on shows such as 2 Days & 1 Night, Running Man, and Hey Ghost, Let’s Fight.
Margo Dydek – 2.13m
There’s no doubt that former basketball player Margo Dydek trained extensively to reach such a high level in the WNBA. The Warsaw, Poland native was officially the tallest professional player to grace the court. She is best remembered as a center for the Connecticut Sun. Later in her career, she worked in the Queensland Basketball League, coaching the Northside Wizards. Tragically, Dydek passed away on May 27, 2011. She had suffered a heart attack a week earlier and was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child.
Stefan Struve – 2.13m
UFC fighter Stefan Struve has been nicknamed the Skyscraper, and for good reason. After a serious gym workout, the Dutchman is officially the tallest fighter on the entire UFC roster. Despite losing his debut fight to Junior dos Santos at UFC 95, Struve has won 28 of his 37 fights, including eight by knockout. The MMA athlete lost his last fight to Alexander Volkov. However, Struve isn’t letting the loss discourage him and plans to bounce back quickly.
The Tree Man – 1.82
One of the greatest athletes of the modern era has made a name for himself through social media and is known as “The Fearsome Tree Man.” The story behind the name is pretty simple. A Twitter user noticed a photo of the 6-foot-7 man with a personal trainer certification and compared his stature to that of a huge tree. “That’s not a man, that’s a tree,” the user tweeted. Southern California native Danny Jones must be very happy with his recent publicity.
Amazon Eve – 1.82m
American model Erika Ervin is known to millions by her stage name, Amazon Eve. Also working as a professional fitness trainer, Eve stands at an astonishing 6 feet tall, and many media outlets consider her the tallest model on the planet. She has also graced the cover of Australian magazine Zoo Weekly. Due to her enormous publicity, Amazon Eve has even received opportunities on television, with her most notable appearance coming in 2014 when she starred in American Horror Story: Freak Show.
Andre The Giant – 2.13m, 235kg
The late, great André the Giant was considered by most to be one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot in a ring. At his peak, the man from “Grenoble in the French Alps” stood 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighed a staggering 520 pounds. No need for protein shakes—André was simply born that way! Even heavyweights like Hulk Hogan and King Kong Bundy didn’t stand a chance against André. The wrestler’s gigantism was due to excess growth hormones, and he died in 1993 of congestive heart failure.
Jorge Gonzalez – 243.84 m
Another athlete to reach 1.9 meters in his lifetime is Argentinian Jorge Gonzalez, who was a wrestler in his prime. Known as El Gigante, Gonzalez ended up training hard to enter the most iconic ring of all, WWE. He burst onto the scene as Giant Gonzalez at the 1993 Royal Rumble, eliminating the Undertaker in the process. However, it was the Undertaker who had the last laugh, getting his revenge on El Gigante at WrestleMania IX.
Holley Mangold – 188kg
At 415 pounds, Holley Mangold is one of the greatest female weightlifters of all time and has certainly put in many hours in the gym. She began her career in 2008 and represented Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics. She holds a personal best of 562.2 pounds. Holley isn’t the only Mangold to compete professionally. Her brother, Nick Mangold, played football center for the New York Jets. Holley currently coaches at the Dayton Barbell Club in Beavercreek, Ohio.
Mamadou N’Diaye – 2.13cm
When he debuted at 18, basketball player Mamadou N’Diaye was already 7 feet 6 inches tall, making him the tallest player in NCAA Division 1. He first played college basketball for UC Irvine before being drafted into the NBA in 2016. Since then, he has played for the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, and Grand Rapids Drive. While comparisons to players such as Yao Ming and Rudy Gobert are inevitable, N’Diaye is determined to continue moving forward with his strict fitness routine.
Randy Johnson – 2.08m
They didn’t call him “The Big Unit” for nothing. It’s safe to say Randy Johnson did a lot of weightlifting to ensure he had a fantastic pitch! The former pitcher played for 22 seasons, primarily for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s officially the fifth-most successful left-hander of all time. But that’s not all. Johnson threw 4,875 strikeouts, the most ever by a left-hander. This also puts him second on the all-time list, behind Nolan Ryan.
Usain Bolt – 1.95m
In some ways, it doesn’t make sense that Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who stands 6.5 inches tall, has dominated the sprinting scene for the past decade. He’s at least a foot taller than most of his competitors. However, it seems his long legs give him a stride unlike anything seen before in track and field. Bolt has served his time in the fitness center, inspiring the Jamaican team to Olympic triumphs in London in 2012 and Brazil in 2016. He is the only sprinter to win gold in the 100m and 200m in three consecutive competitions.
Michael Phelps – 1.93m
Among swimmers, Michael Phelps stands out as not only the most talented and accomplished of his generation, but also one of the tallest. While not the tallest athlete on this list, his six-foot-one height sets him apart from his closest rivals. After years of personal fitness training, Phelps has dominated the world swimming scene since the turn of the century and led the U.S. team to Olympic glory in four of his five competitions. In total, he has won an impressive 28 Olympic medals.
Yao Ming – 2.13m
Entering his final season in the NBA, Chinese basketball player Yao Ming was officially the tallest player in the division, standing at a staggering 7’6″! He not only reached the NBA playoffs four times, but he also helped the Houston Rockets win the first-round series in 2009. Two years later, Ming decided to retire after a persistent foot injury. Although he tried to get back into the sport, the injury sidelined him for over 250 games over his final six seasons.
Jan Koller – 182cm
When it comes to footballers, Jan Koller is not only one of the tallest, but he also weighs a lot for a man of his height (no protein shakes required). In his prime, the Czech player was a talented striker, scoring for clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, and Anderlecht. He was one of the stars of the famous Czech Republic team that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2004. Other stars of that team were Milan Baros, Pavel Nedved, and Tomas Rosicky.
Darya Klishina – 152cm
Among long jumpers, Darya Igorevna Klishina is one of the most disciplined in the gym. Unfortunately, the athlete was labeled a traitor by her home country, Russia. After the scandal surrounding the Russian national federation, Klishina was allowed to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil as a neutral athlete. In fact, she was one of 19 other Russian athletes to do the same thing, so she wasn’t alone.
Nataliya Kuznetsova – 153cm, 102kg
Meet Nataliya Kuznetsova, a professional bodybuilder from Russia. At just 29 years old, Nataliya Kuznetsova not only holds world titles in the arm raise, bench press, and deadlift, but she’s also a proud European champion in the bench press and deadlift. Kuznetsova began powerlifting at the age of 14 with the goal of gaining muscle mass. In 2013, this powerful woman graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. Today, she lives in Moscow with her husband, Vladislav Kuznetsov.
lanka Vlasic – 193cm
Blanka Vlasic is undoubtedly one of the most successful high jumpers of her generation. A world indoor champion, Vlasic has performed wonders for her home country, Croatia. Despite suffering from an overactive thyroid, she recovered through intensive training. In total, she has accumulated 16 international medals—12 gold, three silver, and one bronze. The 2007 and 2010 European athlete also won silver and bronze at the Olympic Games. She owes a lot to her father, who coached her through the toughest times.
Yvetta Hlavacova – 194cm
One of the most talented long-distance swimmers is undoubtedly Croatian Yvetta Hlavacova. She proved this by setting a world record, swimming across the English Channel in the shortest time in history (7 hours 25 minutes). Despite having a long-standing gym membership, the world’s greatest swimmer struggled to find a club and, for ten years, had to rely on sponsorship deals. However, after making history with her Channel feat, Hlavacova finally received the attention she deserved.
Laura Dijkema – 184cm
At six foot nine, Laura Dijkema is a giant compared to most of her volleyball teammates. She continued to train regularly to be at the top of her career, playing for Dresdner SC. She represented the Netherlands internationally and won three medals in the space of two years. These medals came at the 2015 Montreux Volley Masters, the 2015 CEV European Championship, and the 2016 FIVB World Grand Prix, respectively. In 2017, she won the ultimate honor in her position, being awarded the title of “Best Setter” at the 2017 European Championship.
Suleiman Ali Nashnush – 243cm
Officially the tallest athlete in any sport, Libyan Suleiman Ali Nashnush reached a colossal height of 6 feet 1 inch! The former basketball player is one of 17 people recorded to have reached a height equal to or greater than 6 feet 1 inch. Although he had abnormal growth, which was not caused by additional professional training, Nashnush was eventually treated for this abnormality and underwent successful surgery. He was also an actor and starred in Federico Fellini’s Fellini Satyricon. Although his maximum height is 6 feet 1 inch, Nashnush only reached 6 feet 1 inch while playing professional basketball.
Kerri Walsh Jennings – 191cm
Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings is not only one of the greatest volleyball players of all time, but also one of the most successful. After many years spent in fitness centers, the American has shattered numerous rankings and accumulated more Olympic medals than any other competitor. With three gold medals and one bronze to her name, Jennings has proven she’s no slouch. She, along with teammate Misty May Treanor, contributed to what many consider one of the best beach volleyball teams of all time.
Richard Metcalfe – 213cm
One of the tallest men to grace the world of rugby, Richard Metcalfe took a lot of protein shakes to reach such dizzying heights. He was six inches taller than the average second-rower, meaning he was always intimidating to play against. The former rugby player won 13 caps for his native Scotland and spent most of his career with clubs such as Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints. Sadly, Metcalfe retired after a long-term knee injury.
Aaron Sandilands – 211cm
Aaron Sandilands remains one of the most imposing figures in Australian rules football. At one point, he was officially the tallest and heaviest player in the Australian Football League (AFL). But make no mistake. Aaron Sandilands didn’t just drink a lot of protein shakes; he’s also an extremely talented Australian rules footballer, having been named to the All-Australian team for three consecutive seasons, from 2008 to 2010. He was also twice named the Fremantle Football Club’s best and fairest player.
Aleksey Kazakov – 216cm
If there’s one sport where being tall is a definite advantage, it’s volleyball. Russian Aleksey Kazakov has certainly put in a lot of stretching in the gym while serving his country. He won medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning silver and bronze, respectively. During this time, Kazakov also won the bronze medal for Russia at the 2001 European Championships, held in Ostrava.
Mohammad Irfan – 216cm
The only cricketer on this list is Mohammad Irfan, who has been a key player for the Pakistani national team in recent years. Not only is he one of the tallest cricketers on the planet, but he’s also extremely fast, after listening to his fitness instructor. Although he’s come under scrutiny recently, particularly after being suspended in 2017 following corruption charges, Irfan gained acclaim in 2013 when he won the South Africa Championship thanks to his fast bowling skills.
Nikolai Valuev – 213cm
In an industry filled with big and heavy people, boxing saw its records broken once again when Nikolai Valuev burst onto the scene. Over time, and without the need for protein shakes, the Russian boxer became both the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history. With 50 wins out of a total of 53 fights, Valuev’s record speaks for itself. Since retiring from boxing, Valuev has ventured into the world of politics and also opened his own boxing school, the Nikolai Valuev Boxing School.
Brittney Griner – 206cm
For starters, look at those arms! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s be clear: Brittney Griner has put in a lot of training to become a great basketball player. She stands out because she’s the only NCAA player to score over 2,000 points and block 500 shots! Griner recently played a significant role in Team USA’s Olympic victory for basketball, and since 2013, she’s been representing Nike.
Lacina Traore – 203cm
Nicknamed “the big tree,” Lacina Traoré has often remained in the shadow of other Ivorian strikers such as Didier Drogba, Wilfried Bony, and Salomon Kalou, who have all had more opportunities at international level. Although Côte d’Ivoire failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Traoré still has a few years to exercise. The tall, lanky forward has already played for clubs such as Monaco, Everton, and Anzhi Makhachkala, scoring goals wherever he has gone.
Dane De La Rosa – 201cm
Dane De La Rosa has certainly put in a lot of training to become one of the greatest athletes in professional baseball. The Torrance, California, native has played for major MLB teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Although currently a free agent, De La Rosa has already made a comeback, briefly signing with the Sugar Land Skeeters after a temporary retirement. The pitcher has a 4.24 ERA.
Rik Smits – 224cm
Although taller players have emerged since the days of Rik Smits, there’s no denying that “The Dunking Dutchman” was an imposing force to be reckoned with. Standing at six foot nine, he didn’t need to work out on the treadmill to win the hearts of millions. Smits was also equipped with an incredible arsenal of skills. He spent his entire NBA career playing for the Indiana Pacers. He was also named an NBA All-Star in 1998, inspiring his team to a run to the NBA Finals two years later.
