Greek pole vaulter Emmanuel Karalis has set his sights on winning a medal at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

Following a remarkable performance in Tokyo recently that saw him finish in fourth place, the young athlete is determined to keep training and improving as he strives for glory at the Paris games in just three years time.

“My goal is to win a medal at the Olympics and I think I am capable of that. I will work very hard, persistently and I will try to get better every day,” Karalis told Greek radio station Athina 9.84 in a recent interview.

Despite facing stiff competition in Tokyo, the ever-smiling Karalis won the heart of many Greek and international fans with his positive attitude and determination to succeed following what had been a very challenging year of preparation.

After his 4th place finish, he pulled out a note he had written and shared it with the cameras.

“So I am now a 4th place Olympic winner. After such a difficult year following my injuries, and of course the pandemic, it was hard to believe this could be possible. So you can understand the overwhelming joy and incredible gratitude which I feel. I have the most amazing team behind me and the most supportive fans,” Karalis tweeted from Tokyo after the event.

Born in Greece to a Greek father and Ugandan mother, 21-year old Karalis certainly has a bright future ahead of him. A promising athlete and vocal supporter of equal rights, his popularity in Greece has been growing over the last few years.

He is very active across different platforms of social media, especially on his instagram account @manolo.

He also has his own clothing line, Fly Manolo Fly, which he says is “made in Greece with premium fabrics, passion and imagination.”