Emmanouil Karalis made history in Brussels on Friday, winning the Diamond League title in pole vault at the Memorial Van...

Emmanouil Karalis made history in Brussels on Friday, winning the Diamond League title in pole vault at the Memorial Van Damme meeting and claiming the first Diamond Trophy of his career. The 6.12m clearance he needed to seal the win also set a new meeting record. He becomes only the second Greek athlete to win a Diamond League title, joining Miltiadis Tentoglou who claimed the long jump diamond in 2022. The final took place without world record holder Armand Duplantis, who withdrew shortly before the competition began. That left the field wide open, and Karalis took full advantage. Karalis opened at 5.52m and cleared it first attempt, then skipped 5.72m. He needed two tries at 5.82m before sailing over 5.92m on the first attempt to take the lead. Norwegian Sondre Guttormsen, his closest rival, passed on 5.92m and went straight to 6.02m but failed all three attempts, finishing second. Karalis then passed on 6.02m himself, going straight to 6.12m and clearing it on his third attempt to clinch the title and the meeting record. Greece now has two Diamond League champions, both from track and field events that demand pure athleticism and technical precision. Karalis's win in Brussels puts him firmly among the elite of world pole vaulting. #DiamondLeague #EmmanouillKaralis #Greece