Shark Week 2017: Michael Phelps to ‘race’ a shark for special

Phelps

In what may be the most quintessential Shark Week event in history, Michael Phelps is going to be racing a shark on a Discovery special. The title for it is here Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White, which seems about right for how ridiculous this is. In one corner, you have a dangerous shark. In the other, you have the most decorated Olympian in history. There is zero reason why we should want or need this, which is probably why we’re getting it.

If you really love hyperbole, odds are you’re going to love the synopses for this special put out by the network:

“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!”

Phelps himself put out a post on Instagram (see below), where you can see just how exactly / amped up he is for this. As for how in the world Discovery gets the shark to agree to go along with the race, that’s a very good question since it does feel like the shark would have better things to do.

This special is going to air on Sunday, July 23 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, and this is a part of a week that includes such pun-tastic programming as “Alien Sharks: Stranger Fins,” multiple iterations of “Sharks in the City,” “Great Hammerhead Invasion,” and “Shark Exile.” Obviously, the popularity of Sharknado has probably only further increased the interest in Shark Week, even if the two are airing on separate networks and have no direct affiliation with each other at all.

What do you think about this Shark Week special: Ridiculous entertainment, or just ridiculous as a whole? Be sure to share some of your thoughts with a comment below! (Photo: Discovery.)

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