Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has battled the world's fastest swimmers and amassed 39 world records, but his toughest race is yet to come. Next month, Phelps is poised to face off against a great white shark in an epic race that's part of the Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week.
Details about how this race will go down remain unclear — sharks surely can't swim between lane lines, after all — but a quick glance at a great white's average speed doesn't bode well for Phelps' chances of winning his 24th gold medal. Per Discovery, a great white shark can swim at a rate of at least 25 miles per hour, though it can "achieve bursts of speed of 35 miles per hour or more." Phelps' fastest swim ever was swum at a speed of 6 miles per hour, ESPN reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Will Trump lead to more or fewer nuclear weapons in the world?Talking Points He wants denuclearization. But critics worry about proliferation.
-
Is Ye finally about to be canceled for good?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION From doubling down on overt antisemitism and Nazi admiration to a series of alarming public appearances, the rap superstar and fashion mogul might have finally gone too far
-
Planning a trip? These are 3 budget-breaking mistakes to avoid.The Explainer Don't accidentally inflate your travel costs
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own roomSpeed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
