Alexander Sizonenko
| Alexander Alekseyevich Sizonenko | |
|---|---|
 Sizonenko and Georg Wessels | |
| Born |
20 July 1959 Zaporizhia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Died |
5 January 2012 (aged 52) Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Height | 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in) |
Alexander Alekseyevich Sizonenko (Ukrainian: Олександр Олексійович Сизоненко; Russian: Александр Алексеевич Сизоненко; 20 July 1959 – 5 January 2012) was a Soviet basketball player.
Sizonenko was born in the city of Zaporizhia, Ukrainian SSR. Possibly the tallest person to have ever played professional basketball, he was measured by Guinness World Records at 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in) and named the world's tallest man in 1991. Sizonenko was said to have grown since this measurement was taken, although age reduced his standing height considerably. Because of his enormous growth, his mobility was increasingly impaired.
Basketball career
Sizonenko played professionally for Spartak Leningrad (1976–1978) and for Stroitel Kuybyshev (1979–1986). Sizonenko was also a member of the Soviet national team and appeared on its behalf for 12 games.
Personal life
He lived in Saint Petersburg, was divorced and had a son Alexander born in 1994. In 2011 he was moved to a hospital in St. Petersburg, where he died on 5 January 2012. He was 52.
?| Preceded by Gabriel Estêvão Monjane |
Tallest Recognized Person 1991 |
Succeeded by Suleiman Ali Nashnush |