NEW RESEARCH APPROACHES ARE UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERY OF PROPULSIVE MECHANISMS IN SWIMMING

Abstract

Various explanations regarding how swimmers generate propulsion have been proffered during the last half century, Investigations have been limited by the current technical 'state of the art'. The main limitations have related to the difficulty of directly measuring propulsive and resistive forces and in observing the behaviour of the fluid. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an historical account of how developing methods of analysis are enabling us to unravel the mystery of propulsion in swimming.