The aims of the present study were: (i) to describe the pressure profile around the swimmers in drafting through CFD analysis; (ii) to assess the drafting distances effect in the Cd; (iii) to assess the distance in which the Cd of the back swimmer is equal to the Cd of the leading swimmer, considering different flow velocities.
The major finding of this work was that the Cd of the back swimmer progressively increases concomitantly with the distance between swimmers, until a distance between 6.45 m and 8.90 m is reached.
In the present study, as the distance between swimmers increased, the Cd value of the back swimmer approaches that of the leading swimmer.
Indeed, the approach of the back swimmer to the wall of the right side could have prevented the velocity convergence and the pressure reestablishment.
