Phelps unfortunately lost the 100m swimming race to the simulated great white shark. The Olympian did put his A-game forward as he clocked an average speed of 5.9 miles per hour during the race. However, the shark’s swimming prowess remained unmatched. The computer-generated simulation of the animal crossed the finish line in 36.1 seconds, beating Phelps by two seconds.

It’s interesting that the swimmer originally wanted to race a real-life shark and not a simulation. According to Michael Phelps, he always wished to “dive with a great white shark.” However, the Baltimore native had to settle for a race against a simulation as the other option was too dangerous to be done.

Michael Phelps was speaking to Jimmy Fallon about Shark Week’s Phelps vs Shark: Great Gold vs Great White when he revealed his wish. Phelps told Fallon that he was willing to go up close to his favorite animal in the open sea.

Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon about his wish to race a shark, Phelps said:

Furthermore, Phelps said that it was “really cool” to come face to face with a real shark. He went on to explain how close he got to a real shark before:

Speaking about the competition he was up against, Phelps said that he was no competition for the shark.

Phelps said that he could swim six miles per hour without the specially designed suit to swim like a shark. He went on to explain that he wouldn’t actually race a shark as it was dangerous. Fallon responded hilariously to this, saying:

Michael Phelps’ life post retirement

Michael Phelps hung up his swimming trunks post the 2016 Rio Olympics as one of the most successful Olympians in history. His 28 Olympic medal tally, including 23 golds, remains unrivaled. Despite his retirement, the former competitive swimmer continues to remain the top name in the sport.

Post retirement, Phelps is now spending his time as a mental health advocate. The adventure sports enthusiast revealed his struggles with ADHD and depression in 2018. Following this, he has been a vocal activist for athletes’ mental health.

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