Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis made history for Greece at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, on Sunday, March 9, securing the nation’s first and only medal at the event.
Karalis, the Olympic bronze medalist, shared the gold with Dutch athlete Menno Vloon after both cleared 5.90 metres with identical attempts, resulting in a tie for first place.
Karalis had a smooth path to the final, needing just two jumps—clearing 5.65m and 5.75m—to qualify. A total of 11 athletes advanced to the final, with seven reaching 5.75m and four more progressing with 5.65m.
Entering the competition as the gold-medal favourite after posting a season-best 6.02m on February 28, Karalis delivered an impressive performance.
He cleared 5.60m on his first attempt, skipped 5.70m, and then cleared 5.80m. After struggling at 5.85m with two failed attempts, he succeeded on his third try.
Karalis cleared 5.90m on his first attempt, keeping his medal hopes alive. Both he and Vloon failed to clear 5.95m on three attempts each.
With Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen unable to clear 6.00m, Karalis and Vloon decided to share the gold, concluding an unforgettable final.
