Michael Phelps defends Shark Week ‘race’ against great white
Posted Jul 26, 2017 10:30:36 AM.
Last Updated Jul 26, 2017 08:40:29 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Don’t expect an apology from Michael Phelps to TV viewers who were disappointed with his race against a simulated great white shark for a Discovery Channel Shark Week special.
The Olympic champion was bested by two seconds Sunday night in “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.” The race didn’t pit Phelps against a real shark, but rather a computer-simulated fish based on data on the swimming speed of sharks.
Phelps responded to critics in a Facebook Live video Tuesday. He notes that a shark doesn’t swim in a straight line and suggested a side-by-side race with the predator impossible. He later added that he made it clear before the show aired that he wouldn’t be racing a real shark.
