The world's tallest man has been named by Guinness World Records for the launch of its 2010 book. 27-year-old Turk Sultan Kosen said he hoped his new-found fame would help him find a wife.

At 8ft 1in (2.47m), Sultan Kosen, from Turkey, is about 4in (10cm) taller than previous title-holder Bao Xishun. Bao Xishun saved two dolphins in 2006 by using his 1.06 metre-long arms to remove pieces of plastic from their stomachs.

Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk was briefly awarded the title in 2007, but it was returned to Bao Xishun when Leonid refused to be officially measured for a world record. He told reporters that his height was God's "punishment".

There was excitement among hospital staff in China when they treated Zhao Liang who was 2.46m (just under 8ft 1in) in height. The 27-year-old's mother said her hair had turned white from worrying about how his height would affect his future.

Mr Kosen's (the world;s tallest man) hands measure 10.8in across and his feet are 13.7in long - which are also world records. The farmer, whose height is due to a condition called pituitary gigantism, is one of only ten people ever to top 8ft and the first in a decade.

The gentle giant grew normally until he was ten but a tumour then caused him to develop the medical condition. When other children were little more than 4ft, he was already well over 6ft. The tumour was removed last year and his growth stopped.

Mr Kosen says that the first thing he wants to do is have a car that he can fit in, but more than that he wants to get married. "Up until now it's been really difficult to find a girlfriend. I've never had one, they were usually scared of me. I'm hoping now I will find one", he said.

One of the difficulties of being so tall is getting clothes. Mr Kosen said: "I can't go shopping like normal people, I have to have things made specially and sometimes they aren't always as fashionable. The other thing is that ceilings are low and I have to bend down through doorways".

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