Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis delivered a historic performance by clearing 6.17 metres at the Greek Indoor Championships in Paiania, Athens, rising to second on the all-time pole-vault list behind world-record holder Armand Duplantis.
Karalis began the competition strongly, clearing 6.07m on his first attempt before raising the bar to 6.17m, a height he successfully crossed on his second attempt, improving his previous personal best of 6.08m. The leap not only set a new Greek national indoor record, but also became the second-highest clearance ever recorded in men’s pole vault.
The remarkable jump pushed the 26-year-old past legendary vaulters such as Renaud Lavillenie, who held a mark of 6.16m since 2014, and Sergey Bubka, whose best stood at 6.15m. Only Duplantis remains ahead with the world record of 6.30m, set at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
After achieving the historic clearance, Karalis attempted to push the limits even further by setting the bar at 6.31m, which would have broken the world record. However, he failed in two attempts and ended his competition there.
Reflecting his rapid rise in the sport, Karalis is already a Paris Olympic bronze medallist and a recent world silver medallist, achievements that have often come in competitions won by Duplantis.
Top All-Time Pole Vault Marks (Men):
6.30m – Armand Duplantis (World Record)
6.17m – Emmanouil Karalis (2026)
6.16m – Renaud Lavillenie (2014)
6.15m – Sergey Bubka (1993)
The rivalry between Karalis and Duplantis is set to intensify soon, with the two expected to clash at the Mondo Classic in Uppsala on March 12, ahead of the World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland later this month.
Discussion about this post