6.02m in the rain: Emmanouil Karalis pulls off a feat at Athletissima’s City Event

Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis delivered a stunning performance on Tuesday at Athletissima’s City Event. Putting on a true show, he had never jumped so high under such difficult conditions. Karalis triumphed ahead of Renaud Lavillenie and Thibaut Collet, who tied for second with 5.82m.

Karalis, the man on the rise, cleared 6m or higher for the 10^th time this season. That remarkable consistency earned him a standing ovation from the Greek fans packed along the runway. The Olympic silver medalist exploded with joy after soaring over 6.02m, celebrating as if he had just won a world or Olympic medal. He then called it a day as the rain intensified.

Lavillenie and Collet were somewhat surprise guests on the podium. Training partners separated by nearly a generation, they savored their 5.82m in style. For Collet, that clearance secures his ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo; for Lavillenie, it was confirmation that he remains highly competitive at almost 39 years old. “I hope Jacky (Delapierre) will invite me again for the next edition,” said the Frenchman, taking part in Athletissima for the 16^th consecutive time.

In his post-event interview, Lavillenie didn’t rule out extending his career all the way to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, at least. “I’m taking it year by year, there’s no reason to change that approach. We’ll see,” he said with a big smile.

Turkey’s Ersu Sasma and Belgium’s Meno Vloon placed 4^th and 5^th respectively, both also clearing 5.82m, while Sam Kendricks (USA) finished 6^th with 5.72m.