Michael Phelps touched off by shark in man versus fish showdown
Last Updated: 25/07/17 10:33am
Swimming great Michael Phelps has finally been defeated - by a computer-simulated great white shark.
Phelps, who has won an incredible 23 Olympic gold medals, squared off with the shark on Sunday night but was beaten by two seconds.
The event was part of the Discovery Channel's Shark Week coverage and had been eagerly anticipated.
Phelps was outfitted with a wetsuit and a monofin to mimic a shark's powerful tail, and he finished the 100m race in 38.1 seconds.
However, that was not quick enough to trouble the shark, who was super-imposed onto the screen and powered to the finishing line in 36.1 seconds.
The shark's time was calculated on data which was analysed by the Discovery Channel and based on the average swimming speed of great whites.
The race took place in freezing cold waters and Phelps subsequently joked on Twitter that he would like a rematch in warmer climes.
