--- title: Michael Phelps Will Race a Great White Shark, Discovery Says description: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps will test his speed in the water by racing a great white shark for Shark Week, Discovery said canonical: https://time.com/4822298/michael-phelps-shark-race-discovery/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-16T19:39:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T11:03:48.382Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Michael Phelps Is Going to Race a Great White Shark og:description: The race will air on Discovery in late July og:url: https://time.com/4822298/michael-phelps-shark-race-discovery/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3cc2f4acd34dcacb/6988d2280a4a2282059cea94/phelps.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Swimming - Olympics: Day 4 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Michael Phelps Is Going to Race a Great White Shark twitter:description: The race will air on Discovery in late July twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3cc2f4acd34dcacb/6988d2280a4a2282059cea94/phelps.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Michael Phelps Is Going to Race a Great White Shark  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Jun 16, 2017 7:39 PM CUT  Michael Phelps of the U.S. celebrates winning gold in the Men's 200m Butterfly Final on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Aug. 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Michael Phelps of the U.S. celebrates winning gold in the Men's 200m Butterfly Final on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Aug. 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Adam Pretty—Getty Images  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Jun 16, 2017 7:39 PM CUT Olympic swimmer [Michael Phelps](http://time.com/4722001/michael-phelps-olympics-joke/ "undefined") will test his speed in the water — and perhaps his courage — by racing a great white shark. Phelps, who has 23 Olympic [gold medals](http://time.com/4451050/michael-phelps-gold-medals-rio-2016-olympics/ "undefined") and 39 world records under his belt, will compete against a shark in an upcoming Discovery program during “Shark Week,” the cable channel said in a [news release](https://press.discovery.com/us/dsc/press-releases/2017/dive-shark-week-brand-new-jawsome-shark-progr-4068/ "undefined") Thursday. “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,” Discovery said. “But he has one competition left to win.” Details about the race, including whether Phelps would be in the same pool as the predator or how his safety would be ensured, are unclear. The race airs July 23 at 8 p.m. ET. 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