Make no mistake: The Discovery Channel is known for putting hype over science during its annual summertime Shark Week specials. But when the program involves 23-time Olympic gold medalist and Baltimore native Michael Phelps, a little bit of hype is justified.
The network a couple weeks ago confirmed what we’d already been wondering since March, when the network said Phelps would be kicking off Shark Week. His cable-televised stunt entails placing him in a cage next to a hefty-looking great white, and then seeing who can swim the fastest.
Since we can confirm the retired Olympian wasn’t eaten and didn’t lose any limbs during the race — he wrote on Instagram afterward that he was psyched to cross it off his “#bucketlist” — it’s alright to be excited about “Phelps vs. Shark: The Battle for Ocean Supremacy.” And how can you not with a trailer that pits (movie trailer voice) “one, trained to be the best since the day he was born,” against “the other…perfected by evolution”?
The special will run at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 23. Watch the promo below:
