Michael Phelps vs Great White Shark Race: Can Olympian Win Against the Shark?
He might be the most decorated Olympian of all time, but Michael Phelps will have to face his biggest competition yet in Discovery's upcoming Shark Week 2017 special in late July.
The newly crowned 2017 ESPY Awards winner for Best Record-Breaking Performance is scheduled to race against a great white shark in a special show titled "Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White" that will be aired on Sunday, July 23.
Phelps talked to Yahoo TV to discuss his experience while swimming with the great white shark in the open water. According to the 23 Olympic gold medals and 39 world records holder, they did not actually swam with a shark next to him. But the production managed to set up a lane where he was capable to swim in a straight line.
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However, he revealed that they also went through several difficulties when filming the Shark Week 2017 special.
"The challenge of trying to get a white to swim in a straight line was difficult, because when a white attacks a seal on the surface they come from under the surface to build speed to be able to get that natural breach that we all see from great whites," the 32-year-old swimmer stated. "But I think with some of the tests that we were running out there on the boat, we were able to see what they can do. It's a speed burst that they reach up to 25 mph, so in a 100-meter race, they might be swimming at 16 mph."
Phelps also told USA Today that he has always been fascinated with sharks since he was a teenager. He shared that since Discovery's annual Shark Week event normally coincides with his major competitions, he spends his rest time in his room watching TV.
"I was watching stuff about sharks and trying to learn more. That's where my biggest nerdy side comes out," Phelps stated. "Because I'm so infatuated with water and infatuated with sharks."
The "Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White" special will air on Discovery at 8 p.m. EDT.
