Michael Phelps is one of the greatest swimmers to have ever graced the sport of swimming, and the American took part in a highly-anticipated 100m race, against a shark on Sunday. It was also said to be a one-of-a-kind man versus beast race.
However, there were some disappointment when one learned that Phelps was not racing against an actual shark, but it was a computer-simulated shark. There was a huge sense of discontent on Twitter after the reality about the shark was known.
Call me crazy but I thought they were gonna put Phelps up against a real shark not a simulation. I feel robbed. #SharkWeek #PhelpsVsShark pic.twitter.com/XgdEphkl6m
— Meg Conley (@MegDownSouth) July 24, 2017
The Olympian and the computer shark were involved in a tight race, which was eventually won by the fish in a close encounter in the coast of South Africa.
However, this amazing and rare 100m race kicked off Discovery Channel's Shark Week programming, and it could not have got any better for them. The world was aware of Phelps speed in water, but people were curious to know about sharks' speed. A number of scientists had worked on various aspects in order to record the shark's speed.
Phelps was also wearing a monofin in order to simulate the movement of the shark, which helped him generate speed. He was also wearing a swimsuit, which helped him look like a shark as well.
Despite giving his best and also coming closer to the shark, Phelps finished second best as the swimmer finished the race in 38.1 seconds, which was a full two seconds slower than the shark at 36.1 seconds.
Was anyone surprised with the result?
Phelps might not be habituated to a second place finish, but against a shark, though a simulated one, he was happy to have come close to winning.
"They swim so fast, it's almost like a bullet. I don't like taking silver medals but I'll take one against a Great White," Daily Mail quoted Phelps as saying.
