There are few harder tasks in sport than trying to dethrone the greatest of all time while he is still at his peak. For Emmanouil Karalis, that challenge comes in the form of Armand Duplantis, the undisputed king of pole vault. And yet, season by season, vault by vault, Karalis is getting closer.
The Rise of a Contender
Not long ago, Karalis was a promising talent on the European circuit. Today, he is something much more: an Olympic bronze medalist, a world silver medalist, and one of only a handful of athletes in history consistently clearing six meters.
His progression has been relentless. In 2025 alone, Karalis recorded multiple six-meter clearances including a breakthrough victory at the Lausanne Diamond League with 6.02m. By early 2026, he had pushed his personal best to 6.17m, placing him among the very best the event has ever seen. But numbers only tell part of the story. Because in almost every major competition, one name still stands above him.
Chasing Greatness
Duplantis isn’t just winning, he is redefining what’s possible. A multiple Olympic champion and serial world record breaker, he has dominated the event for years, raising the bar to heights once thought unreachable. And yet, Karalis is one of the very few athletes consistently jumping in his orbit. At the 2025 Shanghai Diamond League in Keqiao, Duplantis soared to 6.11m. Karalis followed with 6.01m. Closer than most, but still just out of reach.
It has become a familiar pattern:
Karalis clears six meters, Duplantis goes higher
But the gap? It’s narrowing.
Closing In
What makes Karalis’ story so compelling is not just that he is chasing greatness. It’s how fast he is closing the distance. He has moved into the upper echelon of all-time performers, surpassing the legends who went before him and establishing himself as one of the highest jumpers in history.
In championship settings, he is no longer just competing, he is contending. A silver medal at the World Indoor Championships (6.05m) placed him directly behind Duplantis on the podium.
And perhaps most telling of all: he is no longer surprised to be there. Karalis has spoken openly about pushing Duplantis to new heights. Not just as rivals, but as athletes driving each other forward.
Shanghai: The Next Chapter
The Shanghai Diamond League has already seen this rivalry play out once before. Duplantis at his dominant best, Karalis in pursuit.
But each meeting now feels different.
Because Karalis is no longer the outsider hoping for an opportunity.
He is the challenger building momentum.
The athlete rewriting his own limits.
The one getting closer. Centimeter by centimeter. To the greatest pole vaulter the world has ever seen.
And in a sport defined by the smallest margins, that makes him one of the most dangerous competitors on the runway. This is the exact reason why Emmanouil Karalis is one of the athletes we are most exciting to follow closely on May 16.
So let us leave you with this. In Shanghai, don’t just watch who wins. Watch the gap. Because what you will see is one of the greatest battle within our sport unfolding right in front of you!
