World's tallest man says he's happy

Vienna: The world's tallest man says he is happy with his height but used to wish he were "normal".

At seven feet, 8.95 inches, Xi Shun, of Mongolia, has held the world record as the globe's tallest living man since January 15, 2005, according to London-based Guinness World Records Ltd.

"Before I wanted to be normal, but now I like it," Xi Shun, a herdsman, said in an interview with The Associated Press on the sidelines of Vienna World Records Day on Sunday.

Organised in association with Guinness World Records, the event was open to anyone who wanted to set a world record - or trump one that already existed. It took place in Vienna’s Prater amusement park.

Dressed in a traditional embroidered blue shirt, pants and brown sandals, Xi Shun, speaking through a translator, said he lives in a house that had been built specifically for him.

Alone, his bed is 8.5 feet long, he said, adding he has to order his clothes from factories.

Xi Shun, who said he was not married and didn't have children, claims he only experienced a growth spurt in his late teens and that he had a normal height until he was about 16.

Young and old took part in the one-day event, including 43-year-old Perry Zmugg, from the Austrian city of Graz, who broke 42 chopsticks in one minute - using his neck.

However, an attempt to get 5,876 couples to kiss for at least 10 seconds straight failed.

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