Duplantis clears 6.21m to win Lausanne Diamond League as two vaulters top 6.16m for first time

Armand Duplantis won the pole vault at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne on Thursday, clearing 6.21 meters to secure victory. Greek vaulter Emmanouil Karalis finished second after both athletes cleared 6.16 meters, with Karalis narrowly missing his personal best of 6.17 meters.

Duplantis attempted a world record of 6.32 meters but failed in three tries. The meet’s record of 6.15 meters, set by Duplantis two years earlier, was surpassed by both athletes, with Duplantis clearing it on his first attempt and Karalis on his second. The bar was then raised to 6.21 meters, which Duplantis cleared on his first try, while Karalis failed in two attempts at the height, 4 centimeters above his season best. Karalis also attempted 6.26 meters but did not succeed.

After both cleared 6.16 meters, Duplantis praised Karalis, saying, “He is amazing” . The event marked a historic moment in pole vaulting, as it was the first time two athletes had cleared 6.16 meters in the same competition .

The competition took place at a temporary venue near Lake Geneva in Lausanne’s Ouchy district, with free admission for spectators. The meet also featured entertainment and multiple stands, drawing a crowd for the prestigious athletics series.

In a separate event on Friday, nearly 2,600 participants ran in the five-kilometer Ülemiste Night Run in Estonia. The race included a charity challenge: for every runner who finished ahead of Ülemiste Centre director Guido Pärnits, the center donated €5 to decathlete Karel Tilga. A total of 1,362 runners beat Pärnits, who completed the distance in 37 minutes and 8 seconds, raising €6,810 for Tilga.

Tilga, who placed fifth in the decathlon at the European Championships in Birmingham, welcomed the support. “It is a wonderful feeling to know that while we were competing in Birmingham, thousands of people in Estonia were running in support of the decathletes,” he said . He added that 20 percent of the funds would go to Estonian youth combined events. Ülemiste Centre director Guido Pärnits said the initiative demonstrated how the private sector could support Estonian sport in a joyful way.