The world's tallest teenager is poised to put his towering height to good use — as a college basketball player.
Olivier Rioux, 18, of Montreal is set to join the University of Florida Gators as a 7-foot, 9-inch center, according to the team's website.
His elevated stature would make him the tallest college basketball player in history, according to Fox Sports, which said that record is now held by Paul Sturgess, who was an inch shorter when he played for the Florida Institute of Technology.
Rioux attended the IMG Academy sports boarding school in Bradenton, Florida, and played on Canada's team in tournaments sponsored by the International Basketball Federation.
He was named the world's tallest teenager by Guinness World Records in December 2020 when he measured 7 feet, 5 inches tall, according to Fox Sports.
Rioux was 6-feet, 1-inch tall by age 8, and grew past the 7-foot mark the summer before he entered seventh grade, according to the Gators' website.
The teen credits genetics for his height, telling Guinness that at age 16 that his father measured 6 feet, 8 inches tall, and that his older brother was one inch taller than their dad.
He also said that being so big gave him an advantage on the court and that he enjoyed being "noticed anywhere I go."
Rioux committed to play for the University of Florida in Gainesville as a "preferred walk-on" in November, according to the Gainesville Sun.
That designation doesn't come with any scholarship money but means he was promised a spot on the team's roster and could earn a scholarship going into his second season, according to the IMG-affiliated Next College Student Athlete recruiting organization.
