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Dalton Grant was an exciting figure at major championships during the
late 1980's and 1990's, augmenting his considerable high jumping ability
with high opening heights and audacious passing manoeuvres. During the
early part of his career, Grant was a consistent finalist at major
international championships, finishing 7th at the 1986 Commonwealth
Games, and equal 7th at the 1988 Olympics. In 1989, he finished second
in the European Indoor Championships at the Hague in February, and then
on March 4, he finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in
Budapest, with a new personal best, either indoors or out, of 2.35m.
Later that year, on 28 August, in the Kodak Classic at Gateshead, Dalton
improved his outdoor personal best to 2.34m (see photo above),
equalling the Commonwealth record of Nick Saunders (Bermuda).
In a
fascinating duel with Saunders at the following year's Commonwealth
Games in Auckland on 1 February, Grant took the lead when he cleared
2.32m on his first attempt. Saunders passed after one unsuccessful
attempt at 2.34m, at which height Grant consolidated his lead by
clearing on his second attempt to equal their jointly held Commonwealth
record. Saunders then broke the record when he cleared 2.36m to win the
gold medal, leaving Dalton with the silver, although he also came close
to clearing 2.36m, having already landed safely in the pit, before the
bar was finally dislodged. At that year's European Championships at
Split, on 1 September, Grant had cleared 2.31 on his first attempt, but
after one failure at 2.34m, he elected to take his remaining jumps at
2.36m, a height that he had never before cleared in competition. A
clearance at his second attempt at 2.34m would have secured him a medal,
but instead, after failing at 2.36m, he finished in equal fourth
position. (Ron Casey)
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