Emmanouil Karalis and Mondo Duplantis headline the men’s pole vault battle at tomorrow’s Diamond League opener in Xiamen, China. Both athletes are among the world’s best and have pushed the event to new heights in recent years.
Mondo Duplantis, the Swedish pole vault superstar, has redefined the sport with his unprecedented consistency and record-breaking performances. At just 24, he holds two Olympic gold medals, including his recent defence of the title at the Paris 2024 Olympics. There, Duplantis set a new world record by clearing 6.25 meters, surpassing his previous mark multiple times. His ability to perform under pressure and break records by the smallest margins has made him a once-in-a-generation talent. Duplantis’s dominance is so complete that he often outjumps his rivals by nearly a foot, a huge gap in a sport where centimetres decide medals.
Emmanouil Karalis, the Greek pole vaulter, is Duplantis’s closest challenger and a rising star in his own right. Karalis has cleared six meters multiple times this season, including at the recent Mondo Classic, where he vaulted 6.00 meters. He won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics with a 5.90-meter jump and has steadily improved, becoming the 29th pole vaulter in history to clear six meters. Emmanouli Karalis sees his rivalry with Duplantis as a major motivation and a sign of a golden era in pole vaulting. Despite facing personal challenges, including struggles with depression and racism, Karalis has persevered and continues to break barriers for himself and Greek athletics.
Their rivalry dates back to youth competitions and has grown into one of the sport’s most compelling narratives. Both athletes respect each other as friends and competitors, pushing the limits of the event. Tomorrow’s Diamond League opener in Xiamen promises another thrilling chapter of the two stars in the ongoing pole vault supremacy.
