Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis qualified for Sunday’s men’s final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, clearing 5.60 meters on his first attempt in Friday’s qualifying round to secure one of the 14 available spots.
Karalis, whose 6.17-meter clearance at the Greek Indoor Championships earlier this year ranks as the second-highest jump in the history of the sport, heads into Sunday’s final with confidence.
“I expect to achieve the performance level I want. I am an athlete who thrives in competition, and I expect an optimal result,” Karalis, holder of the national outdoor and indoor records, and the bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, told state broadcaster ERT.
Another Greek athlete, Elina Tzengko, qualified for the women’s javelin final with a throw of 59.82 meter, the sixth-longest mark of the qualifying round.
Tzengko won gold at the 2022 European Championships in Munich at just 19 years old.
