Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis will vault at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on 3 June.
Karalis became the second highest pole vaulter in history with a 6.17m clearance at the Greek Indoor Championships before pushing Armand Duplantis all the way at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun where he had to settle for silver.
Duplantis isn’t competing in Turku but the Greek will face a strong field including 2017 and 2019 world champion Sam Kendricks from the United States. Kendricks also won silver at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris to Karalis' bronze.
The organisers are naturally optimistic the meeting record will be improved this year. "I believe that KC Lightfoot's 2023 meeting record of 5.90m may well be broken in June and even move into the 6.00m range,” said athlete coordinator Arttu Salonen.
Karalis cleared 6.00m or higher in eight outdoor competitions last year. He has already cleared 6.00m or higher four times in 2026.
Local interest in the men’s pole vault will be provided by 2023 World University Games champion Urho Kujanpaa and 2023 European U23 champion Juho Alasaari.
2022 European pole vault champion Wilma Heltela (nee Murto) is also due to open her outdoor season on home soil at the Paavo Nurmi Games.