Frank Parrington (GBR)

Honor Pioneer Diver (1986)

FOR THE RECORD:  Frank Parrington, “Plunger” extraordinaire, was a Liverpool policeman, wounded and gassed in WWI and killed in WWII during the blitzkrieg.  Between wars he was the all-time greatest plunger, setting the World Record several times and winning 11 British National Championships between 1926 and 1939.

The Plunge for distance is how far a man can propel himself from a dive in 60 seconds.  Parrington’s greatest rivals were Teddy Abrams (USA) and Arther Beaumont (GBR) but neither approached Frank Parrington’s world Records.  The event was finally discontinued in 1947.  Parrington’s World Record of 86 ft. 8 inches set in 1933 has never been broken.  The second, third and fourth best distances were also his, 85 ft. 10 inches in 1927 and 85 ft. 4 inches in 1929 and 85 ft. 6 inches in his first championship plunge in 1926.  He won British Championships in 1926, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939.  Beaumont beat him in 1929, 1930, 1931, and 1932 then Frank came back never to lose again.