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World’s tallest man and shortest woman reunite after six years in California

Sultan Kosen and Jyoti Amge last met in Egypt in 2018

Namita Singh
Friday 23 February 2024 12:51 EST
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Shortest woman in the world

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The world’s tallest and shortest people had breakfast together in California on Monday, reuniting six years after they first met for a photo shoot in Egypt.

There’s more than six feet in height difference between Sultan Kosen from Turkey and India’s Jyoti Amge, who posed for a new set of photos after their meeting.

Mr Kosen, 41, who holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest living man at 8ft 2in, can be seen towering over Ms Amge, 30, the shortest living female measuring just 2ft 0.7in.

In one of the images, Ms Amge is just a little taller than Mr Kosen’s shoe, as she stands alongside it smiling ear to ear. In another she can be seen barely reaching his shoulder – despite him being seated, and her standing on a chair near him.

The photos of the meeting were released by Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, and it’s not immediately clear who organised their visits to the US. Anadolu reported that the pair had travelled to Los Angeles at the invitation of an unnamed American producer, who also planned to record their meeting.

Sultan Kosen posing besides Jyoti Amge in Irvine, California
Sultan Kosen posing besides Jyoti Amge in Irvine, California (Anadolu via Getty Images)

The duo last met in 2018 when they visited Egypt, posing next to the Great Sphinx of Giza. The sphinx also holds a Guinness World Record – it is officially the largest monolithic sculpture in the world.

Mr Kose officially became the world’s tallest man living in 2009, and was at the time the first man to grow over 8ft tall in over 20 years.

He also holds the record for the world’s largest hand. His super size is the result of a medical condition called pituitary gigantism that causes his bones and body parts to grow at a much faster rate than in most people.

Mr Kosen grew at an average rate until the age of 10 when a tumour led to his medical condition, prompting a dramatic growth spurt.

Kosen and Amge first met six years ago in 2018 when they posed next to the Great Sphinx of Giza
Kosen and Amge first met six years ago in 2018 when they posed next to the Great Sphinx of Giza (EPA-EFE)

He has previously spoken to Guinness World Records about what it is like to be so tall – he describes one of the advantages as being able to help out his mother out with jobs such as changing a broken light bulb and hanging curtains, while the disadvantages include not being able to find clothes or shoes that fit or finding it extremely hard to fit into a regular size car.

Ms Amge, 30, received the title of world’s shortest woman in 2011 after earlier holding the record of being the world’s shortest teenager. Her diminuitive height is the result of a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.

In 2014, she became the shortest actress in the world, after playing the role of Ma Petite in American Horror Story.

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