Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil “Manolo” Karalis spoke with members of the media at the Diamond League event in Oslo. This journalist participated in virtual mixed zone interviews.
Background on Emmanouil Karalis
Karalis is the current holder of the Greek national record in both the indoor and outdoor men’s pole vault (6.05 meters and 6.01 meters respectively).
In March of 2025, Karalis became the first Greek pole vaulter to win a gold medal at a European Athletics Indoor Championship. Last year, he took home the bronze medal for Greece at the Paris Summer Olympic Games.
Competing at the Diamond League in Oslo
On competing at the Diamond League in Oslo, Karalis said, “The atmosphere was amazing. I totally felt it.”
“Hopefully, I will be able to come back here next year and jump even higher,” he said.
On repping Greece, Karalis remarked, “It was a nice day today and I jumped 5.82 meters. I almost jumped 5.92 meters, so maybe I could have jumped six meters, but the day was a bit rough for everyone.”
“Hopefully, I can do it in two days in Stockholm,” he said. “Overall, it was so nice here in Oslo. The crowd really embraced the pole vaulters. I hope next year I will come back here and jump even higher.”
Last year, Karalis won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games, and he joined the six-meter club, which features an elite group of internationally-recognized athletes.
Karalis on how he attains his high-level results consistently
When asked how he attains those results consistently, he responded, “I try to stay consistent, and I try to work on my speed, and I try to work on my strength.”
“In general, I try to be the best version of myself, I’m enjoying the sport, and I am trying to jump as high as possible in the big events like the Diamond League,” Karalis said.
“So far, we are doing a good job, but the season is long. We gotta see how we can manage to win in Tokyo this September,” he elaborated
Karalis addresses the state of pole vaulting these days
On the state of pole vaulting these days, “We have a lot of great guys. Everyone is able to jump over six meters, and everyone is hungry to jump high.”
“Hopefully, the next generation of pole vaulters will accomplish something historic in pole vaulting,” he noted.
Karalis on athletic rival yet real-life friend Mondo Duplantis
When asked what it takes to beat world record holder Mondo Duplantis, Karalis responded, “I don’t know. We’ve got to wait and see. He is a good friend and an amazing pole vaulter. Mondo is pushing everyone to achieve their goals.”
“I am so happy to be able to call Mondo my friend, and being able to compete with him,” he added.
Close-knit community of pole vaulters
On the close-knit community of Olympic and world-class pole vaulters, Karalis said, “Literally, we’ve known each other for 10 years. We’re competing every week all around the world. It’s something amazing.”
“We are watching these guys more than we are watching our families, so it’s nice to have a group of people we all love in the sport of pole vaulting, and that we get to compete on the biggest stage,” Karalis concluded.
To learn more about Emmanouil “Manolo” Karalis, follow him on Instagram.
