A new national record—and what a record—in pole vault by Emmanouil Karalis!

The Greek Olympian made history at SEF with a stunning 6.01m jump at the Greek Indoor Athletics Championship. This marks the second time in his career that he has cleared 6 meters, signaling that even greater achievements may be on the horizon in a year that also features a World Championship.

In 2024, competing in outdoor track and field, Karalis became the first Greek athlete to ever clear 6.00m. At the same time, he also became the first Black athlete to achieve this feat!

The champion started his competition at 5.65m, cleared 5.85m on his second attempt, and then soared over 5.95m on his first try, setting a new Greek indoor record. But he wasn’t done yet—just moments later, he shattered his own record, clearing an incredible 6.01m!

Karalis then attempted 6.08m but was unable to clear it. Nevertheless, the crowd was on its feet, cheering him on.

A Historic Streak

This marks the fourth national record set by the Olympiacos athlete in 2025 alone.

Meanwhile, Giannis Rizos (Aris) also put in a strong performance, clearing 5.55m—bringing him even closer to securing a spot at the European Indoor Championships. In third place was Petros Hatziou of Panathinaikos with 5.25m.