Emmanouil Karalis set a new Greek national record in the pole vault by clearing 6.20 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
The Greek athlete pushed Swedish star Mondo Duplantis throughout the competition before placing second. After clearing the record height, Karalis made three attempts at a world record height of 6.32 metres.
Karalis said after his performance that he now believed everything was possible in his event. He added that the competition in Zurich marked the first time in his career that he had attempted a world record height.
National record clearance
The performance in Switzerland came just days after another strong display on the circuit. On August 23, 2026, Karalis cleared 6.00 metres at the Diamond League event in Poland, where he also finished second behind Duplantis after attempting 6.20 metres.
Karalis has established himself among the premier pole vaulters in international athletics. The Greek field athlete won the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and has consistently challenged for podium finishes at major international championships.
Duplantis is widely considered the dominant force in modern pole vaulting. The Swedish athlete holds multiple world records and Olympic gold medals, frequently pushing competitors to their personal limits during high-level meetings.
Greek success in Zurich
Karalis was not the only Greek athlete to achieve success at the Letzigrund stadium. Fellow Greek star Miltiadis Tentoglou secured victory in the men's long jump event during the same Diamond League meeting.
Tentoglou took first place in Zurich with a winning jump of 8.45 metres. The long jumper is a multiple Olympic champion and European gold medalist known for delivering top performances in major international finals.
The Diamond League circuit
The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field competitions organized by World Athletics. It features fourteen of the world's premier single-day athletics meetings across Europe, Asia, and North America.
The Zurich meeting, known as Weltklasse Zurich, traditionally serves as one of the flagship events of the global track and field season. Athletes compete for points across the series to earn places in the final legs of the tour.
