Michael Phelps may be the greatest swimmer of all time, but is he as great as a Great White shark?
The Discovery Channel plans to answer that question for their annual Shark Week. Vice reports that the network is planning to pit Phelps against the beast in a special event on July 23.
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Phelps, who holds 39 world records and 23 gold medals, will try his swimming speed against the shark in a details-undisclosed swimming battle. Phelps recently shared a photo on Instagram of a shark with the caption, “I was able to do something that I had always wanted to do. Be in a cage and dive with great White sharks!!”
Discovery is billing the upcoming race as a must-see event.
“An event so monumental no one has ever attempted it before,” the network’s statement says. “The world’s most decorated athlete takes on the ocean’s most efficient predator: Phelps v. Shark — the race is on!”
Despite the hype it may not be much of a contest. Great Whites clock in with an impressive speed of 25 mph in open water. Phelps, whose world records include the individual 100 meter and 200 meter butterfly, clocks in at just around 6 miles per hour.
Shark Week begins on July 23 on Discovery Channel.
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 13: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white) Paul de Gelder, poses on Sydney Harbour on November 13, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. Motivational speaker, author and Navy Reserve, Paul de Gelder, 36, lost both an arm and a leg when he was attacked by a male bull shark during an anti-terrorism exercise working as a Navy Clearance Diver with the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbour in February 2009. De Gelder now travels Australia as a motivational speaker and shares his story to inspire others to overcome adversity. Paul is currently on location in South Australia monitoring the behaviour of Great White Sharks with scientists producing a documentary for Discovery Channel. -
Forrest Galante holding a deep sea species of shark
