Olympic champion takes on great white shark
MICHAEL PHELPS has been watching sharks on the television for about as long as the rest of us have been watching him on TV.
The fivetime Olympic champion (32) says he became obsessed with sharks as a teenager.
‘‘Shark Week was always during major competition,’’ he says, noting that when swimmers aren’t at the pool, they’re expected to be in their rooms, resting with their feet up. That usually involves a lot of TV.
‘‘So between [pool] sessions, I was watching stuff about sharks and trying to learn more,’’ he says. ‘‘That’s where my biggest nerdy side comes out; because I’m so infatuated with water and infatuated with sharks.’’
But this year instead of watching sharks on TV, he’s on screen racing a great white off the coast of Cape Town in Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.
He doesn’t swim side by side (that’s too dangerous), and won’t divulge exactly how they were paired up. But he strapped on a monofin (a wide fin with pockets for both feet that provides a nice boost in speed) in an attempt to level the playing field.
‘‘In a race, I think my fastest speed was about five or six miles per hour [89.5kmh],’’ Phelps says. With the monofin, he estimates he got up to ‘‘8 to 10, maybe 12 [1320kmh]. But for me, it actually gives me more of an appreciation for how fast sharks move through the water, especially at their size’’.
Displaying his sharknerd bona fides, he says a great white can hit a burst speed of 25mph [40kmh]. ‘‘A mako shark can swim [in the] mid40s [about 70kmh]. That’s mindblowing.’’ — TCA
Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White premieres on Sunday at 6.35pm on Discovery.