Courtesy of Discovery Channel.
In August 2008, Michael Phelps said to a Wall Street Journal reporter that there was “Not a chance. No way. I won’t do open water” when the Greatest Of All Time was asked about marathon swimming – a new event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where Phelps outdid every athlete in Olympic history by winning 8 gold medals.
But times – and people and outlooks – change.
Off Bimini Island in the Bahamas, Phelps filmed an episode called Phelps Vs. Shark: The Battle for Ocean Supremacy that will be broadcast globally on the Discovery Channel’s SHARK WEEK on July 23rd. He evidently swam head-to-head (in some fashion) against a Great White Shark and the Discovery Channel was there to capture the footage.
On July 30th, Phelps will also appear in the SHARK SCHOOL WITH MICHAEL PHELPS episode. “Michael Phelps joins Doc Gruber and Tristan Guttridge of the Bimini Shark Lab to get a crash course on everything ‘shark.’ They’ll dispel the myths and common misconceptions, teach him how to safely dive with sharks – including how to stay calm when a hammerhead swims two feet above his face – and will get Michael Phelps up close and personal with the incredible power of a great white.”
The episodes are produced by Peacock Productions that will air the episodes during the same week in more than 220 countries and territories.
Copyright © 2008 – 2017 by World Open Water Swimming Association