Michael Phelps defends Shark Week 'race' against great white
Posted July 26, 2017 7:00 am
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 winningest athlete in Olympic history 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 that a side-by-side race with the predator would be impossible. He later added that he made it clear before the show aired that he wouldn't be racing a real shark.
FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, file photo, the fin of a great white shark is seen swimming a past research boat in the waters off Gansbaai, South Africa. Olympic champion Michael Phelps lost to a simulated shark in the Discovery Channelâs Shark Week special âPhelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White,â which aired July 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File)
The Associated Press
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