Duplantis wins Silesia Diamond League with 6.20m vault as Karalis takes second

Silesia Diamond League competition

Armand Duplantis won the men's pole vault at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland on 23 August 2026. The event was the third direct clash between Duplantis and Greece's Emmanouil Karalis within one week, following recent competitions on the European circuit. Sondre Guttormsen joined the two leaders in reaching the six-metre mark, finishing in third place overall. Duplantis secured victory by clearing 6.20 metres on his first attempt at that height. Karalis claimed second place with a best clearance of 6.00 metres after three unsuccessful attempts at the higher mark. The competition in Silesia featured high technical difficulty and tactical decisions from all three podium finishers. Both Duplantis and Karalis entered the event off strong showings in Switzerland earlier in the month.

Opening clearances and early fouls

The early rounds saw unusual errors from Duplantis, who needed extra attempts on the runway before finding his rhythm. The Swedish champion missed his first attempt at 5.65 metres before clearing the bar on his second jump. Duplantis registered another failed attempt at 5.90 metres, accumulating seven attempts across the preliminary heights. Karalis showed consistent form from his opening jump, clearing 5.50 metres, 5.80 metres, 5.90 metres, and 6.00 metres on his first attempt at each level without recording a single foul. The flawless sequence gave Karalis a temporary advantage in total attempts over the field. Guttormsen also advanced cleanly to 6.00 metres, matching the top competitors to create a three-way contest at the six-metre mark.

Tactical passes at 6.10 and 6.15 metres

Tactical adjustments defined the competition once the bar reached 6.10 metres. Karalis chose to pass 6.10 metres after his clean series, opting to preserve energy for an attempt at a higher mark. Guttormsen attempted 6.10 metres in pursuit of a personal best, but missed all three attempts and exited the competition in third place. Duplantis knocked down the bar on his opening attempt at 6.10 metres before successfully clearing it on his second try to keep himself in the contest. Both Duplantis and Karalis subsequently agreed to skip 6.15 metres, moving the competition directly to 6.20 metres for the final duel. The strategic passing left Karalis with only three completed jumps entering the deciding height compared to seven for Duplantis.

Decisive 6.20-metre round and world record chase

At 6.20 metres, Duplantis regained his standard execution and cleared the bar on his first try to secure first place. Karalis entered the round with determination but failed all three attempts at 6.20 metres, struggling with his approach momentum despite achieving vertical clearance above the bar. Clearing 6.20 metres would have established a Greek national record for Karalis, three centimetres higher than his outdoor mark of 6.16 metres in Lausanne and his indoor mark of 6.17 metres set in Paiania in February. Following his victory, Duplantis had the bar raised to 6.32 metres in an attempt to exceed his own world record of 6.31 metres. Duplantis missed his initial jump at 6.32 metres, leaving two attempts remaining at the Silesia meeting. The performance added another Diamond League victory for Duplantis following his 6.21-metre clearance in Lausanne days earlier.