Emmanouil Karalis was warmly received at the Olympic Village by the Greek delegation members following his pole vault final and bronze medal win, though the celebration was subdued due to the late hour.

In addition to the chants and torches, what stood out was the heartfelt embrace from fellow bronze medalist Lefteris Petrounias and Miltos Tentoglou’s coach, Georgi Pomaski.

Karalis humorously commented, “It’s the first time I’ve given so many interviews. They’ve tired me out more than the competition. But when you’re an Olympic medalist, that’s part of the deal.”

He also noted, “We’re winning medals, we’re doing well,” and he scheduled a meeting for today following the final of Miltos Tentoglou.

In contrast, the praise for Manolo on social media has been loud and immense, with Greek users expressing their joy for Karalis. “Well done, Superman,” they write, highlighting his smile and the strength he has shown in overcoming the challenges of previous years, including depression, racism, and injuries.

Emmanouil Karalis won the bronze medal in the pole vault final at the Paris Olympics with a jump of 5.90 meters—making it the 6th medal for the Greek delegation to date.

In his first post after the final, Manolo wrote, “What just happened???” along with a video of the jump that earned him his first Olympic medal.

“I can’t believe it” was Emmanouil Karalis’ second Instagram post after his major success, where the Greek Olympian shared a series of photos with his loved ones and his coach.

In his third post before going to sleep, Karalis revealed the message he received from Mondo Duplantis before the final: