A bronze medallist at the 1975 World Championships at the age of sixteen, David Parker’s career never quite lived up to its’ initial promise and though he set a national record in the heats at Montreal he failed to reach the Olympic final.
Parker, from the English Midlands, then followed the example of his Olympic teammate David Wilkie and took up a scholarship at the University of Miami.
Things did not work out in Florida and after twelve months he returned home, gave up competitive swimming and joined the police force.
After two years as a policeman he resigned and opened a swimwear business which he ran until for nearly thirty years. In May 2010, just a few days after sold his company, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Great Britain