86 feet 8 inches, which remains the world record. In 1941, sportswriter John Kieran referenced the sport as once "a regular event in swimming meets" but "now abandoned." There is some evidence that the quirky nature of the sport is occasionally gaining the attention of modern swimmers. In June 2012, Danish female swimmer Laura Funch successfully plunged the full length of a pool in approximately 101 seconds. Divers approached at the 2016 Summer Olympics by the press about the sport also found it fascinating. Furthermore, The Michigan State University Men's and Women's swimming teams participate in this event annually at their yearly held Alumni Swimming Meet, and keep records for The Plunge event, following the same rules previously used in the early 20th century. Variations In shorter pools, a variation of the event was based on how fast the contestant traveled the length of the pool. For example, in 1927, it was reported that R.E. Howell had set a new world's record in a 60-foot tank, going "the length of the pool in 0:14 2–5." Competitions were also reported at 75-foot lengths. An 1893 English book on swimming also notes the existence of a variation of plunging where participants dive feet first, which it reports to already be rarely practiced. In all plunge events, because divers could not control where they drifted after diving, typically one diver competed at a time. A 1922 A.A.U. rule change planned to make plungers dive in groups, causing concern that collisions would inevitably occur among participants. Records Compiling accurate details of record plunges presents some difficulty, as sometimes records were set in exhibition competitions, and American and English sources do not always seem to check to see whether a claimed "world record" was perhaps only a national record, but available sources do appear to confirm the following records: Men's distance plunge world record (60 second limit) 86 feet 8 inches. Set on 23 September 1933 by British swimmer F.W. Parrington, the current world record 85 feet 10 inches. 1927 by F.W. Parrington 85 feet 6 inches. September 1926 by F.W. Parrington 84 feet 6 inches, March 7, 1924 by Ted Abrams (US) 82 feet 9 inches. 1 March 1920 by American Fred Schwedt. 82 feet 7 inches. 5 September 1906 by W. Taylor, at Bootle, England 79 feet 3 inches. 3 September 1902 by W. Taylor at Bootle. 78 feet 9 inches. 14 September