Fresh off his 6.17m world lead in Athens, Emmanouil Karalis cleared 6.06m for the win and meeting record before attempting 6.20m at the Perche Elite Tour in Rouen, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, on Saturday (7) evening.
The world leader eased through the heights, jumping at 5.70m, 5.90m and 6.06m, taking the win with just three vaults.
But it was clear he had his sights set on closing in on close friend but even closer competitor, Mondo Duplantis, as the Greek attempted to clear 6.20m with two painfully close attempts before knocking the bar with his feet on the final jump of the night.
There is more to come from Karalis, with his attempts at another Greek and world lead were plenty high, but just ever so slightly not deep enough as he skimmed the bar on the way down on his first two attempts at the height.
However, he ensured that he shared the spotlight before attempting the height, as Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen finally cleared six metres for the first time in three years and went on to extend his national record to 6.06m.
The Norwegian had started the competition with a bit of difficulty at his second height, 5.70m, needing two attempts to clear it before sailing over 5.80m with visible relief.
He then needed two attempts for both 5.90m and 6.00m before cruising over 6.06m and falling to the runway overcome with emotion.
Australia’s world championships medallist, Kurtis Marschall, took third with a 5.90m clearance for the second time this season.
While the French trio of Baptiste Thiery, Ethan Cormant, and Thibaut Collet took fourth, fifth, and sixth with the former clearing 5.90m and the latter two clearing 5.80m.
Caudery’s comeback continues
Since her world indoor title in Glasgow 2024, Molly Caudery failed to measure a height at the Olympics before suffering from an injury days later, and then injured herself yet again at the world championships in Tokyo.
But in Rouen, her second competition of the season, Caudery cleared 4.70m to take the win and extend her season’s best.
She pipped Tina Sutej, who also cleared 4.70m but needed three attempts at 4.62m rather than Caudery’s two.
The Slovenian has jumped consistently this indoor season and will be hoping that her time to take a major international gold has arrived when she competes at the Kujawy Pomorze 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Switzerland’s Angelica Moser took third with 4.62m while Czechia’s Amalie Svabikova and New Zealand’s Imogen Ayris took joint fourth also with 4.62m.
The reigning world indoor champion, Marie-Julie Bonnin, had to settle for sixth after opening with 4.51m and clearing 4.62m on her third attempt.
Photo courtesy of Gaelle Mobuchon