On Thursday evening (August 28), history was made in the pole vault, with Emmanouil Karalis and Mondo Duplantis engaging in the greatest battle in the history of the event!
Both athletes competed at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, attempting to clear 6.32 meters and break the world record, with Manolo having already made history earlier by setting a new Greek national record with a jump of 6.20 meters!
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Karalis ranks fifth in the World Athletics world rankings
After the competition, the Greek Olympic champion spoke about his feelings regarding this great achievement, his future battles with the Swedish megastar, and the fact that the two of them push each other to greater heights!
Here’s what he said in detail: “It
was a wonderful day, even though we were tired after ten days of competition. The weather was good, everyone was jumping high, and we were motivating each other. We had a great time, and when I’m having fun, I can jump high. I was very close. I pushed Mondo, and he pushed me. It was the first time I’d ever tried to break the world record, and that’s crazy. It made me believe in myself and that anything is possible. I just have to keep working hard and enjoy what I do. I hope we have many more amazing battles like this, because it’s good for the sport and for the people watching. It’s good for us, too. I push Mondo, he pushes me, and we all push each other. It’s amazing. I feel blessed to be here, and I’m very happy to be part of this great era of pole vaulting.”
On what he needs to improve in order to clear 6.32 m:
“I guess we’ll have to figure that out. There are definitely technical aspects that need to be improved. However, it’s good that I saw the bar at the world-record height for the first time and attempted to clear it. It’s important to break through those mental barriers and believe in yourself. This will help me in my upcoming competitions.
I’m holding onto the joy and love from the crowd. I just cleared 6.20m, which is an incredible height. I’m very happy, and I hope that in the next competition I’ll be able to jump a little higher, put on another great performance, and enjoy it. We’ll see what the future holds. My relationship with Greek fans is incredible. We’re the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and track and field is important in Greece. I receive so much love, not only from Greece, but I’ve come to realize that I have fans all over the world. I feel blessed and honored to represent this era of pole vaulters. I hope that I, Mondo, and everyone else will continue to push each other to jump even higher. Six meters is a crazy height. The fact that three athletes cleared it is unbelievable. The final is going to be intense. Be there.”
*photo source: AP
