At the age of 12, Olivier Rioux from Canada reached an impressive height of 6 foot 11 inches. As he continued to grow, he now stands at 2.36 m (7 ft 9 inches) tall at the age of 18. He holds the record for being the tallest teenager in the world, a title awarded to him by the Guinness World Records when he was 7 feet 5 inches tall at 15 years old. He proudly displays his shoe size of 20 on his Instagram bio.
Coming from a family of tall individuals, Rioux followed in their footsteps. His older brother is 6 feet 9 inches, his dad is 6 feet 8 inches, and his mom is 6 feet 1 inch. Despite his towering height, Rioux found success in basketball. He helped Canada win a bronze medal at the 2023 U18 FIBA AmeriCup, averaging 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has a bright future in the sport, having committed to play for the Florida Gators in college.
Rioux’s growth has been steady throughout his life. He stood at 6 feet 1 inch at 8 years old, grew to 6 feet 11 inches by sixth grade, and reached 7 feet on the cusp of seventh grade. He has experienced another growth spurt in recent years, gaining an additional four inches. These physical changes have spurred his success on the basketball court, leading him to become one of the tallest players in the sport.
With his commitment to Florida Gators, Rioux is set to make history as the tallest college basketball player ever. The current record holder is Paul Sturgess, who stood at 7 feet 8 inches during his college basketball career at Florida Tech and Mountain State. Rioux’s talent and height have positioned him to leave his mark on the game and make a name for himself in the world of basketball.