Emmanouil Karalis wins Diamond League pole vault final with 6.12-metre meeting record

Title and Meeting Record in Brussels

Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis won his first career Diamond League trophy on 4 September 2026 at the Memorial Van Damme meeting in Brussels. Karalis, nicknamed Manolo, secured first place in the men's pole vault final by clearing 5.92 metres on his first attempt. With the competition victory already decided, he elected to continue jumping alone on the runway and cleared 6.12 metres on his third attempt. This clearance established a new meeting record in Brussels, eclipsing the previous mark of 6.11 metres set by Sweden's Armand Duplantis in 2024 by exactly one centimetre. Karalis celebrated the result with a lap of honour around the stadium, posing beside the scoreboard that displayed his new mark.

Duplantis Withdrawal and the Field Battle

The dynamic of the final shifted moments before the scheduled start when world record holder Armand Duplantis withdrew from the competition. The Swedish athlete experienced discomfort and muscle tightness during warm-up exercises on the track and opted against competing to avoid exacerbating the issue. Duplantis explained his decision directly to Swedish television network SVT.

I made the decision not to jump and not to compete. It is hard not to compete, but I do not like at all not feeling healthy and ready.

The withdrawal of Duplantis left the title race open among the remaining finalists. Norway's Sondre Guttormsen seized the initial advantage by clearing all his early heights on first attempts, while other finalists, including Marshall, dropped out at lower bars.

Adverse Weather and Competition Progression

The vaulters faced challenging weather conditions throughout the evening, as rain in Brussels left the tartan runway wet and slippery. Karalis, competing under the banner of Olympiacos, opened his evening at 5.52 metres with a successful first attempt. After skipping 5.72 metres, he needed two attempts to clear 5.82 metres, a delay that temporarily placed him in second position behind the flawless Guttormsen. Karalis took command of the final at 5.92 metres, clearing the bar on his first try. Facing defeat, Guttormsen carried his final attempt over to 6.02 metres but failed to clear the bar, ending the competition in second place.

Greek Athletics Milestone and Personal Triumphs

With the win confirmed, Karalis became only the second Greek athlete to secure a Diamond League title, following long jumper Miltos Tentoglou's triumph in 2022. Television cameras focused on his father and coach, Haris Karalis, who was seen praying over a small wooden cross in the stands just before the winning 5.92-metre jump. Rather than attempting 6.02 metres, Karalis raised the bar straight to 6.12 metres to pursue the meeting record. After two failed tries, he cleared the height on his third attempt, concluding his season final with both the trophy and the meeting record.