All lingering doubts regarding Armand “Mondo” Duplantis’s recent fitness and form were emphatically put to bed on Sunday at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Despite an uncharacteristic loss in Stockholm in June and a groin twinge that forced his retirement in London in July, the Swedish superstar delivered a masterclass under the lights at the Alexander Stadium to secure his fourth successive European pole vault crown with a championship record clearance of 6.15m.
While Duplantis ultimately reigned supreme, most pole vaulters would feel that they are slowly inching up close to him. Emmanouil Karalis provided a genuine, high-stakes threat throughout the night, clearing 6.00m and narrowly missing what would have been a stunning clearance at 6.10m before having to settle for silver. Meanwhile, France’s Baptiste Thiery rounded out the podium with a bronze-winning vault of 5.85m.
Reflecting on the hard-fought victory, Armand Duplantis shared, “The lead-up has been very difficult and stressful… Being here healthy and winning gold is great. I think Emmanouil brings that out of me and brings the best out of the sport.”
Emmanouil Karalis echoed the competitive yet amicable spirit of the evening, noting, “I had fun out there. Hopefully, at the next competition, I can jump even higher… Mondo was saying to me when we finished that we need to go get a beer together.”
Bronze medallist Baptiste Thiery also looked toward the future, adding, “To share the podium with Duplantis and Karalis, that is an honour. But next time, I will jump higher to get closer to them.”