From 30 Rock's advice to "live every week like it's Shark Week" to a shout-out in Macklemore's hit single "Can't Hold Us," Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week is basically an American institution at this point. After 29 years on the air (it's the longest-running cable TV programming event ever!), it's hard to imagine how the network could keep it fresh and exciting—but their announcement that Michael Phelps would race a great white shark on a TV special dubbed "Phelps vs. Shark" did just that.
MICHAEL PHELPS
IS RACING
A
SHARK
????????????— H8 (@NMZscape) July 15, 2017
how is michael phelps gonna race a shark? what if the shark eats him? how does the shark know it's a race? i have so many questions
— Cat Korniczky (@cat_korniczky) July 15, 2017
"I've raced the fastest swimmers on the planet," Phelps said in a promo video. "Except for one."
While he did acknowledge in an Entertainment Weekly interview that he wouldn't be literally racing beside a great white, he was cagey about the details, leaving us all in anticipation. "The only thing I can say is we weren’t in a pool. We were in open water." Needless to say, people were beside themselves, whether for the race or the instant memes it inspired.
bru I'm boutta request off work to catch Michael Phelps race the great white shark
— dyldaddy (@DylDyltran) July 15, 2017
If you think I'm gong to spend my Sunday night watching Michael Phelps race a shark then you're right that's exactly what I'm doing.
— Caroline Saldivar (@carrie_liz_26) July 23, 2017
If you're not watching Michael phelps race a shark tonight you're not a true American
— Tim Kearney (@KearneyT28) July 23, 2017
Let's do this. #PhelpsvsSharkpic.twitter.com/pnBjCFB1is
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 24, 2017
man if that shark doesn't beat michael phelps it's gonna get so much shit from its shark friends
— Bob Vulfov (@bobvulfov) July 24, 2017
Michael Phelps - I'm not racing in 2020 in Tokyo, I'm retired
Also Michael Phelps - I'm so bored in retirement I'm gonna race a shark pic.twitter.com/wTo8HzRFIB
— swim101 (@Swimmin101) July 24, 2017
oh sure, when michael phelps races a shark it's a THING, but when I do it i'm "too drunk" and need to "leave PetSmart."
— n a t e (@nahtzen) July 24, 2017
If michael phelps wins that race against a great white shark that means our species takes the mantle as Supreme Predator Overlord right?
— Carter Richard (@cartkrich) July 15, 2017
Even Team USA was excited.
Are you ready to watch the big SHOWDOWN tonight? @MichaelPhelps will take on the mighty great white! pic.twitter.com/6dbe03sSZF
— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) July 23, 2017
At the beginning of the special, tension continued to build as Michael realized just how fast a great white is.
It's not lookin' good, Phelps pic.twitter.com/SzuUhzhGiU
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) July 24, 2017
Finally the time came for the actual race. Phelps suited up in a 1-millimeter wetsuit and a monofin, then dove into the 56-degree, South African water—significantly colder than the 80-degree Olympic pools he's used to. Despite the chill, he stayed even with the shark for 50 meters, but the shark pulled ahead in the end and beat Michael by two seconds.
The moment of glory for #TeamShark!!! #PhelpsVsShark#SharkWeekpic.twitter.com/NWYp1CwiRa
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) July 24, 2017
The real plot twist, however, is that Michael wasn't racing an actual shark but a computer animation based on data from real sharks. Though of course it would have been unsafe to stick Phelps and a shark together in the ocean, people were less than thrilled by Discovery Channel's special effects.
phelps racing a fake shark is like when ur teacher says there's gonna be a sub but shows up the next day
— (@reqnna) July 24, 2017
Reactions from the shark community after the Phelps/fake shark competition. pic.twitter.com/8vziyzWOjr
— Mike Sciandra (@MikeSciandra) July 24, 2017
Turns out “Michael Phelps races a shark” was really just “Michael Phelps swims alone and then compares his time to a shark’s time.”
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) July 24, 2017
Me pretending to be ok with Michael Phelps not racing a real shark pic.twitter.com/QnCF98NfBB
— Gabi Palamone (@Yo_Gabi_Gabi__) July 24, 2017
michael phelps racing a shark is why i have trust issues
— bob (@_L1ST) July 24, 2017
So you mean to tell me Michael Phelps didn't even race a real shark? It was just a simulation. I'm mad. More like Shark WEAK! pic.twitter.com/gwIGTe7Y9p
— Frank Costa (@feistyfrank) July 24, 2017
Michael Phelps has been hyping up that he's going to race a shark for months now. He did it tonight and it was a damn CGI shark #FakeNews
— Cole Hill (@theSwoleCole) July 24, 2017
When Michael Phelps said he was gonna race a shark this is how I pictured it happening #SharkWeekpic.twitter.com/GiEfJssNhL
— Ryan Homler (@RHomler) July 24, 2017
Even for those disappointed with the CGI shark—or that Michael didn't beat it—there was one moment of victory in the show. In a 50-meter race against a CGI hammerhead shark and CGI reef shark, Michael won, beating the reef shark by .2 seconds.
MICHAEL PHELPS IS FASTER THAN A REEF SHARK pic.twitter.com/4fPqYYLgBR
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) July 24, 2017
While I might be so done with this Shark Week drama, it seems like Michael Phelps isn't over it quite yet. "Rematch?" he tweeted, adding, "Next time..warmer water."
Rematch? Next time..warmer water. #SW30@Discovery@SharkWeek
— Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) July 24, 2017