Read more Leonid Stadnik stories on Newserhttp://www.newser.com/taggrid/9249/leonid-stadnik.htmlhttp://img1-cdn.newser.com/images/newser-black250x40.gifhttp://www.newser.com/2012 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorSat, 26 May 2012 11:37:15 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/5579/great-heights-indeed-for-ukraine-giant.htmlHeather McPherson<img src='http://img2-cdn.newser.com/getimage.aspx?mediaid=18305&width=45&height=45&crop=Y&updateddate=20110401033326' border='0' />Leonid Stadnik knows how the weather is up there. The 8-foot-5 Ukrainian was declared the planet's tallest man by Guinness World Records yesterday, the AP reports, displacing a 7-9 Mongolian. Stadnik is 6 inches short of the all-time mark, held by an American.Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko, left, shakes hands with Leonid Stadnik, 36, believed to be the world's tallest man at 2.57 meters tall (8-foot-5.5) during their meeting at a hospital where Stadnik is undergoing medical tests in Ukraine's capital Kiev, in this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006, file photo. Stadnik is the tallest person in the world, beating a Chinese man who previously held the title, Guinness World Records said Wednesday Aug. 8, 2007. Stadnik's growth spurt started at age 14 after a brain operation apparently stimulated his pituitary gland. He lives with his mother, Halyna, taking care of the family's house and garden.(AP Photo/Mykhailo Markiv, File)http://www.newser.com/story/5579/great-heights-indeed-for-ukraine-giant.htmlThu, 09 Aug 2007 19:18:35 CDT