Duplantis and Karalis set for a high-flying showdown tonight

Emmanouil Karalis and Mondo Duplantis meet tonight for the 12th time, in a Diamond League final in Brussels that is being billed as one of the most compelling contests in pole-vault history.

The Greek vaulter has lifted the national record to 6.20 meters. Duplantis, who won the previous five finals, is chasing a world record of 6.32 meters. Karalis has never been so close to the heights reached by the Swedish star who surpassed the achievements of Sergei Bubka, once known as the “tsar of the skies.”

The contest also carries a specifically Greek thread. Christos Papanikolaou cleared 5.49 meters in 1970 and remains part of the event’s world-record history. The record progression stretches back to 1849, when Francis Temple cleared 3.15 meters. Mark Wright became the first vaulter over four meters in 1912, and Brian Sternberg became the first over five meters in 1963.

Sternberg’s career ended after a training accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Later changes to poles and training methods rapidly raised the bar. Bubka became the first athlete over six meters in 1985, followed by Renaud Lavillenie at 6.16 meters and then Duplantis’s era of dominance.

Karalis was born on October 20, 1999. He won bronze at the 2015 World Under-18 Championships with a 5.20-meter clearance. After working with several coaches, he began training with his father in late 2022, later adding Marcin Szczepanski to the group. In June 2024, he cleared 5.92 meters and joined the Greek men’s national record list.