MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Igor Vovkovinskiy, known as the tallest man in America and a resident of Rochester, has died, according to a post by his mother on Facebook.
Svetlana Vovkovinska said she died Friday night of heart disease. He was 38 years old.
(credit: CBS)
Vovkovinskiy came to Minnesota from Ukraine when he was 7 years old. A tumor in his pituitary gland caused him an exceptional height: he was 7 feet 8 inches tall.
In 2012, WCCO chronicled Vovkovinskiy’s attempts to get new shoes for his 24-foot size. After contacting several footwear companies and starting a crowdfunding campaign, Reebok created Vovkovinskiy three pairs of custom basketball shoes for free.
Vovkovinskiy appeared in the 2011 film “Hall Pass” in a scene with star Jason Sudeikis and on stage at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.