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Duplantis Holds Off Karalis in Thrilling Zurich Pole Vault Battle

Posted : 28 August 2026

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis maintained his dominance of the pole vault in Zurich, but Emmanouil Karalis pushed the Swedish star into one of his toughest contests of the season. Duplantis won the penultimate Diamond League meeting with a clearance of 6.25m, while Karalis set a new Greek record at 6.20m.

The competition reached unprecedented heights, with Duplantis and Karalis becoming the first pair of pole vaulters to clear at least 6.20m in the same competition. Both then attempted 6.32m, which would have broken Duplantis' world record, but neither athlete could clear the bar.

Duplantis, who has dominated the event since 2019 and owns the world record, acknowledged the growing challenge from Karalis. The Swede said the Greek's 6.20m jump forced him to respond with 6.25m, describing the contest as one of the highest levels of competition the sport has seen.

Karalis' performance improved his personal best by 3cm and moved him further up the all-time rankings behind Duplantis. The Greek believes the next step is overcoming the mental barrier of challenging for the world record, while also expressing hope that their rivalry will produce more memorable battles.

Duplantis now turns his attention to the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 4-5, followed by the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest a week later. With Karalis closing the gap, the Swede expects future competitions to require clearances around the 6.20m mark to secure victory.

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