Emmanouil "Manolo" Karalis (Greek: Εμμανουήλ "Μανόλο" Καραλής, born 20 October 1999) is a Greek pole vaulter.[1] He holds the Greek outdoor and indoor records (6.08 m and 6.17 m respectively). In March 2025, Karalis became the first Greek pole vaulter to win a gold medal at a European Athletics Indoor Championship.[2] He currently ranks 2nd all‑time in the “six‑metres club”.
Career
editKaralis won the silver medal at the 2019 and 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships, bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics,[3] and placed fourth at the 2020 Summer Olympics. At the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Karalis shared the gold medal with Menno Vloon.[2] In 2025 he won the gold medal at the Balkan Athletics Championship.[4]
Since October 2021, Karalis has been a member of the athletics department of Olympiacos CFP.[5]
On 28 February 2026, Karalis jumped 6.17 meters at the Greek Indoor Championship, becoming the second highest vaulter in history.[6]
Personal life
editHe is the son of a Greek father from Pyrgos, and a Ugandan mother. He has a twin sister, named Angeliki, who competes in heptathlon.[7]
Honours
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Greece | ||||
| 2015 | World Youth Championships | Cali, Colombia | 3rd | 5.20 m |
| 2016 | European Youth Championships | Tbilisi, Georgia | 1st | 5.45 m |
| World U20 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 4th | 5.40 m | |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 11th | 5.50 m |
| European U20 Championships | Grosseto, Italy | – | NM | |
| World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 17th (q) | 5.45 m | |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 5th | 5.80 m PB |
| 2019 | European Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 4th | 5.65 m |
| European U23 Championships | Gävle, Sweden | 2nd | 5.60 m | |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 15th (q) | 5.60 m | |
| 2021 | European U23 Championships | Tallinn, Estonia | 2nd | 5.65 m |
| Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 4th | 5.80 m PB | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 22nd (q) | 5.50 m |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 13th (q) | 5.50 m | |
| 2023 | European Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 2nd | 5.80 m |
| European Team Championships, Division 1 | Chorzow, Poland | 2nd | 5.80 m | |
| World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | – | NM | |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 3rd | 5.85 m SB |
| European Championships | Rome, Italy | 2nd | 5.87 m PB | |
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 3rd | 5.90 m | |
| 2025 | European Indoor Championships | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | 1st | 5.90 m |
| World Athletics Indoor Championships | Nanjing, China | 2nd | 6.05 m NR | |
| Balkan Championships | Volos, Greece | 1st | 5.92 m CR | |
| World Athletics Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 2nd | 6.00 m | |
| 2026 | World Athletics Indoor Championships | Toruń, Poland | 2nd | 6.05 m |
Circuit results
editProgression
edit| Performance | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.17 m i | Paiania, Greece | 2026, 28 February | NRi |
| 6.07 m i | Paiania, Greece | 2026, 28 February | NRi |
| 6.08 m | Volos, Greece | 2025, 2 August | NR |
| 6.05 m i | Nanjing China | 2025, 22 March | NRi |
| 6.02 m i | Clermont-Ferrand, France | 2025, 28 February [8] | NRi |
| 6.01 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2025, 22 February | NRi |
| 5.95 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2025, 22 February | NR i |
| 5.94 m i | Berlin, Germany | 2025, 14 February | NR i |
| 5.92 m i | Łódź, Poland | 2025, 8 February | NR i |
| 5.90 m i | Caen, France | 2025, 31 January | NR i |
| 6.00 m | Chorzów, Poland | 2024, 25 August | NR |
| 5.93 m | Volos, Greece | 2024, 29 June | NR |
| 5.92 m | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 2024, 20 June | NR |
| 5.87 m | Rome, Italy | 2024, 12 June | |
| 5.82 m | Jockgrim, Germany | 2023, 4 August | |
| 5.86 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2023, 18 February | NR i |
| 5.83 m i | Karlsruhe, Germany | 2023, 27 January | |
| 5.81 m i | Uppsala, Sweden | 2022, 10 February | |
| 5.80 m | Tokyo, Japan | 2021, 3 August | |
| 5.80 m i | Birmingham, UK | 2018, 4 March | |
| 5.78 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2018, 12 February | WU23R |
| 5.71 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2018, 12 February | |
| 5.70 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2017, 19 February | |
| 5.65 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2017, 19 February | |
| 5.55 m i | Ostrava, Czechia | 2016, 19 March | WU18R |
| 5.54 m i | Jablonec nad Nisou, Czechia | 2016, 5 March | WU18R |
| 5.53 m i | Piraeus, Greece | 2016, 14 February | WU18R |
References
edit- ↑ Pourliotopoulou, Ioanna. "ΚΑΡΑΛΗΣ". segas.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 19 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- 1 2 "Ευρωπαϊκό κλειστού στίβου: Πρωταθλητής Ευρώπης ο Καραλής!". gazzeta.gr (in Greek). 9 March 2025. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ↑ "KARALIS Emmanouil". Paris 2024 Olympics. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024.
- ↑ "Βαλκανικό στίβου: «Κλείδωσε» το χρυσό με τη δεύτερη προσπάθεια στα 5.92μ. ο Καραλής". gazzetta.gr (in Greek). 27 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ "ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ Στον Ολυμπιακό ο Εμμανουήλ Καραλής". sport24.gr (in Greek). 27 October 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ "Emmanouil Karalis goes No.2 all-time with 6.17m pole vault". athleticsweekly.com. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ↑ Bhamrick, Dolly (20 April 2025). "Who are Emmanouil Karalis' Parents and Siblings? Everything to Know About the Pole Vaulter's Family". EssentiallySports. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ↑ "Έκτο πανελλήνιο ρεκόρ για το 2025 από τον έναν και μοναδικό Εμμανουήλ Καραλή". segas.gr (in Greek). 28 February 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
External links
edit- Emmanouil Karalis at World Athletics
- Emmanouil Karalis at Olympics.com
- Emmanouil Karalis at the Hellenic Olympic Committee
- Emmanouil Karalis at Olympedia
- Emmanouil Karalis at InterSportStats
- Emmanouil Karalis on Instagram
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