You’ll Never Believe What Michael Phelps Is Doing for Shark Week

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.

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.