American Nilsen surprises Karalis on his 'home turf'

American pole vaulter Christopher Nilsen pulled off a surprise victory at the 'Fly Athens' meet, snatching the win from local favorite Emmanouil Karalis. Nilsen's best clearance of 5.91 meters secured him the top spot on the podium. The event, held near Athens' historic Panathenaic Stadium, featured several top international specialists, with the notable exception of world record holder Armand Duplantis.

Karalis, who had recently achieved the second-best mark in history earlier in the year, struggled to replicate his previous form. Despite clearing heights of 5.61 and 5.81 meters on his first attempts, he faltered at 5.91 meters. In a crucial third attempt at that height, Karalis appeared to clear the bar but dislodged it with his foot, dashing his hopes of victory.

This misstep opened the door for Nilsen, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist. He successfully cleared 5.91 meters on his first try. The American, whose personal best is 6.05 meters set in 2022, was unable to improve on his winning height, failing all three attempts at 6.01 meters. French vaulter Thibaut Collet also cleared 5.91 meters but finished second due to having more failed attempts than Nilsen.