Michael Phelps is going to race a shark
Yes, a shark
Having conquered the best swimmers humanity has to offer in a variety of strokes and distances, apparently Phelps has decided that the only competition left for him is a creature that calls the sea its home and has been evolving for the better part of 450 million years into the perfect killing machine.
That, or the paycheck is pretty solid.
The exhibition race will take place as a part of Discovery Channel's much beloved Shark Week, and can be seen on July 23rd.
You can read the press release announcing the event below:
They are one of the fastest and most efficient predators on the planet: Sharks. He is our greatest champion to ever get in the water: Michael Phelps. 39 world records. 23 Olympic golds. But he has one competition left to win. An event so monumental no one has ever attempted it before. The world's most decorated athlete takes on the ocean's most efficient predator: Phelps V Shark - the race is on!
A quick Google search will tell you that sharks can swim about 31 mph, while Phelps clocks in at around 6 mph, so unless he gets a serious headstart on his competition, he has less of a chance in this fight than Conor McGregor does in his.
That said, it's good to know Shark Week is back soon, and if anyone is capable of pulling off a miracle in the water, it's probably Michael Phelps.