Leonid Stadnyk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Leonid Stadnyk Леонід Стадник |
|
| Born | August 5, 1970 Podolyantsi, Chudnivsky Raion, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR |
|---|---|
| Height | 2.57 m (8 ft 5 in) (not independently verified, appears 7 foot 6) |
| Weight | 200 kg (440 lb; 31 st) |
Leonid Ivanovych Stadnyk (Ukrainian: Леонід Іванович Стадник), (born 1971 in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a living man renowned for his stature. He was formerly listed as the world's tallest living man according to Guinness World Records.[1] On August 20, 2008, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, Craig Glenday, announced that the title of world's tallest man had been returned to China's Bao Xishun after Stadnyk refused to be measured under new guidelines, which required him to be independently measured by Guinness World Records adjudicators.[2]
On August 8, 2007, Guinness book's spokeswoman Amarilis Espinoza stated that in the 2008 edition of the record book, Mr Stadnyk at (8 ft 6 in), appeared to be taller than Bao Xishun, a native of Inner Mongolia in China who stands 2.36 m (7 ft 8.9 in). Although he held the title for a few months, Stadnyk refused to be measured and was consequently denied the GWR recognition. Others have questioned the legitimacy of his record, noting that Stadnyk has never been officially measured by Guinness World Records, only by the "Ukrainian Book of Records" that says that he measures 2.54 m (8 ft 4.0 in), and that the doctor originally credited by Guinness with confirming Stadnyk's height has denied ever measuring him.[3]
Stadnyk's excessive growth began after brain surgery when he was 12 years old. He developed a pituitary gland tumor which caused the gland to secrete large amounts of growth hormone, resulting in what doctors describe as acromegalic gigantism. Twenty years after the surgery, the doctors have discovered the tumour had mysteriously disappeared and he is currently healthy. A Pravda news report in Spring 2006 reported that Stadnyk grew 2 cm (0.79 in) in the previous year, not accounting the time between the original Spring 2004 report and Spring 2005. According to Pravda, his health is slowly failing in that he needs to hold on to limbs of trees and the side of his house to walk about. He also weighs 440 lbs.
He is a certified veterinarian and veterinary surgeon and lives with his mother in the village of Podolyantsi, Ukraine.
[edit] See also
- Robert Wadlow (1918–1940), tallest man in history
[edit] References
- ^ "press release". Guinness World Records 2008. 2007-08-07. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/mediazone/pdfs/news/070807_US_Book_Launch.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. "The world authority on record breaking launches with more astounding new records including the introduction of the world's tallest living human being in the world: Leonid Stadnyk (7ft6in tall)"
- ^ New rules make China's Bao world's tallest again Reuters
- ^ Debate over the tallest man continues
[edit] External links
- PHOTO from life of giant (Russian)
- AP article
- San Clemente doctor gets to know giant, The Orange County Register
- Photo at Ukrainian country side, Photos in UemA
- "Ukrainian is world's tallest man". BBC News. 2007-08-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6937655.stm. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
- Guinness official record of Leonid Stadnyk's height, based on a measurement by the Ukrainian Book of Records.
- Daily Mail article on Leonid Stadnyk
| Preceded by Bao Xishun |
Tallest Person August 7, 2007 – |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
