Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis produced another outstanding performance against world champion Mondo Duplantis in Budapest, clearing 6.15 metres to finish second in the pole vault final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Karalis ended his 2026 season in impressive fashion, progressing through the competition by clearing 5.60m, 5.80m and 5.95m.
He faced a tougher challenge at 6.05m, failing with his first two attempts before clearing the height on his third and remaining in contention.
The Greek athlete then delivered one of the highlights of the final at 6.15m, clearing the bar on his first attempt and once again changing the complexion of the competition.
Duplantis responded immediately, however, and retained the lead.
Karalis then attempted 6.20m, which would have matched his national record, but could not complete the clearance. He subsequently raised the bar to 6.25m in an attempt to set a new Greek national record, but was unsuccessful.
Karalis therefore finished the season with a second-place finish, once again making his mark in a major international showdown with the world’s leading pole vaulter.
