Emmanuel Karalis: The Hand Burn and the Decision to Share Gold

Greek high jumper Emmanuel Karalis claimed his first European Indoor gold medal after an intense final where two athletes shared the top spot. Dutch athlete Menno Vloon matched Karalis’s jump in the final attempt, leading to a heated debate. Eventually, both athletes decided to share the first place and each took home half of the gold medal. Despite these challenges, Karalis faced additional difficulties during the match. According to SEGAS reports, the short runway at Apeldoorn, Netherlands, caused a burn on his hand, affecting his performance in the final jumps. This thrilling victory marked Karalis’s first gold medal in his career. His trophy collection, previously filled with medals of various colors, now includes gold. Initially arriving in the Netherlands with a cold from Athens, Karalis encountered further issues due to the smaller-than-expected 46-meter runway, which affected his body positioning and led to a hand burn. Despite this setback, his successful first jump at 5.90 meters placed him jointly first with Vloon. Under mounting pressure, they initially considered a jump-off but ultimately agreed to share the win, marking history as Emmanuel Karalis became European champion.