Emmanouil Karalis reflects on achieving a significant vault height in pole vaulting, matching the historic performance of his rival, 'Mondo' Duplantis.
On February 8, 2020, a new era in men's pole vaulting began, marked by the extraordinary talents of 'Mondo' Duplantis. That day, the young athlete set a record by clearing 6.17 meters during an indoor gala in Torun, a moment that was witnessed by his peer, Emmanouil Karalis, who did not compete but celebrated the achievement from the sidelines. Karalis, who affectionately refers to Duplantis as 'Manolo', remembers how he joyously joined fellow athlete Pawel Wojciechowski to lift Duplantis in celebration, emblematic of the camaraderie shared among elite athletes.
