Olympian Dalton Grant of Great Britain has become the oldest man to clear 7 feet in the high jump, accomplishing that miraculous feat at age 42 years, 4 months over the weekend. He thus equals a never-ratified 2.15-meter (7-0 1/2) jump by Glen Conley of New York in August 1997. (I wrote extensively about this.) A newspaper report quoted Dalton as saying: “I can definitely get back up to 2.20 metres, I know I can.” And 2.20 is 7-2 1/2.

According to the official results site, Dalton passed 1.90 and 2.00, cleared 2.05 (6-8 3/4) on his third try, passed 2.10 (which he made earlier in the season) and made 2.15 on his third try before three misses at 2.19 (7-2 1/4).
Here’s how the Telegraph newspaper reported Dalton’s mark:

Beijing Olympics: Dalton Grant’s enthusiasm rubs off on next generation
By Brendan Gallagher
Last Updated: 12:32am BST 14/07/2008
Still crazy after all these years – 42-year-old high jumper Dalton Grant spent much of the week hacking around Europe like a teenage hitchhiker in an attempt to gain the qualifying height to compete in the trials at modafinil online Birmingham. The Olympic flame still burns, even if the body is falling apart.
After a weekend meeting at Windsor, the former Commonwealth Games gold medallist trekked over to Norway but missed the 2.15 metres required. Defiant, he scoured the internet and tracked down a small meeting in Albertville in the French Alps. Come dawn on Thursday, kitbag over his shoulder, Grant headed off to Heathrow for a flight to Geneva followed by a two-hour drive up into the mountains, arriving just in time to register for the meet.
Perhaps it was the mountain air but for a few minutes he rolled back the years and soared to 2.15m, for a world veterans record and a starting place in yesterday’s Olympic decider at the Alexander Stadium. This is a man of barely 6ft who, in his halcyon days, ‘climbed’ to personal best of 2.37m and took a silver medal in the 1998 European Championships.
His body staged a rebellion yesterday and “refused” three times at 2.09m, so for the next hour and a half he had the chance to study what he considers could be the best generation of high jumpers Great Britain has had.
Six Britons jumped 2.23m or better in the competition, won by Birchfield Harrier Tom Parsons with a personal best of 2.30m, followed by two excellent attempts at 2.33m.
“There’s some great talent there and it will come through, but what they have to learn is that the technique ambien you need to sail over 2.25 metres is subtly different to the technique you need to jump 2.36m and start winning Olympic and gold medals,” said Grant. “And you have to back it up. Qualifying one day, the competition the next.
“Conditions were not ideal but Tom had one very unlucky effort at 2.33m and is improving quickly. If he could land that in Beijing he would come straight into contention because the men’s high jump hasn’t moved on greatly in recent years. That height starts becoming very competitive.”
Grant also backed Germaine Mason, Samson Oni and Martyn Bernard, who have all jumped 2.30m.
“There’s a great youngish group developing who can take the sport on,” he said. “The internal competition can build something really good for Britain heading towards 2012.”
Where would British sports generally, and athletics in particular, be without enthusiasts like Grant? His experience is invaluable and has to be harnessed.
Meantime, he will be back training antabuse this morning. “I can definitely get back up to 2.20 metres, I know I can,” he said. Don’t bet against him.