Karalis vaults to 6.20m, becomes second-best pole vaulter in history behind Duplantis

Mr. Karalis, 26, produced the best outdoor clearance of his career just a week after vaulting 6.16 meters in Lausanne, where he pushed Duplantis into one of the most competitive contests the event has seen in years. In Zurich, Duplantis again had the final word, clearing 6.25 meters to win the meet, but Karalis's jump further cemented his status as the world record-holder's most consistent rival.

The height carries added significance: 6.20 meters was itself a world record when Duplantis first cleared it indoors in Belgrade in 2022, before a run of record-breaking jumps that has since pushed his mark to 6.31 meters.

Karalis's leap puts him level with a height that once represented the sport's absolute ceiling.

The result caps an extraordinary month for the Greek vaulter. He won silver at the European Championships in Birmingham on August 16 with 6.00 meters, behind Mr. Duplantis's championship-record 6.15.

Four days later in Lausanne, he raised his outdoor best to 6.16, a height previously cleared outdoors only by Duplantis and France's Renaud Lavillenie.

He then matched 6.00 meters in Silesia on August 23, finishing runner-up again as Mr. Duplantis cleared 6.20.

Karalis now ranks second on the all-time list, with Duplantis at 6.31, followed by Lavillenie at 6.16, former record-holder Sergey Bubka at 6.15, and American KC Lightfoot at 6.07.