Olivier Rioux, a 7’9″ center for the Florida Gators, has drawn global headlines not only for his game but for his staggering height. Guinness World Records recognizes him as the tallest teenager alive. In an astonishing growth spurt, Rioux added two inches in just two months, jumping from 7’7″ to 7’9″ at age 19.
His height is no mystery—it runs deep in his family’s genetic line. At only 8 years old, Rioux already stood 6’1″ and surpassed 7 feet before reaching middle school. By 16, he measured 7’5″, setting the official record. Now only three inches shy of 8 feet, Rioux holds the distinction of being the tallest player ever to appear in a Division I basketball game.
Meet the Parents of Olivier Rioux: Inside the Genetics of a 7’9″ Basketball Star
Olivier Rioux, born Feb. 2, 2006, in Terrebonne, Quebec, comes from a family whose genetics and athletic roots have clearly shaped his path to becoming the world’s tallest teenager. His parents, Jean-François Rioux and Anne Gariépy, both stand well above average height and bring strong athletic and professional backgrounds to the table.
Jean-François, Olivier’s father, is 6’8″ inches tall and previously played competitive volleyball. He now runs a photography business called “Jeff Photo” in Anjou, Quebec, and earned a degree in printing management from Cegep Ahuntsic in 1996.
Olivier’s mother, Anne, stands at 6’2″ inches. She has worked at the Royal Bank of Canada since 2004 and pursued education at Ecole Bonnier High School, College Sainte-Anne de Lachine, and Université du Québec à Montréal.
This towering lineage played a central role in Olivier’s development. By age 10, he was 5’2″. At 15, he reached 7’5 “and earned recognition from Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest teenager.
“We’re still not 100% [sure] why I’m so tall,” Olivier told Guinness in 2022. “After investigation, doctors could only explain it with the genetics that my family has.”
His older brother, Émile Rioux, is also 6’9″ inches and played basketball growing up, further extending the family’s sports legacy. Olivier credits his family’s height for helping him adapt to the attention that comes with being unusually tall.
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“You don’t have a single three seconds to yourself when you’re outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall,” he told the Associated Press.
Olivier began playing basketball at five and joined Canada’s youth teams. He averaged 8.3 points and 10.3 rebounds at the 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship and earned another bronze at the 2024 U18 AmeriCup.
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