July 23, 2017 | 9:16pm ET
To kick off this year’s installment of Shark Week, Discovery paid Michael Phelps a boatload of money to race against an actual great white shark.
(Well, technically he against a computer-simulated shark based on a complex data formula, but then again was this guy really going to risk a limb with the 2020 Olympics on his mind?)
Spoiler: He lost — but not by that much. The most decorated Olympian of all time swam the 100 meter race at a blistering 38.1 seconds — just two seconds less than the great white.
Prior to his race against the great white shark, Phelp got a chance to warmup against a reef shark (who he actually beat!) and a hammerhead shark.
Replay Phelps’ epic battle against the great white shark below:
