Phelps loses by 2 seconds to simulated shark

In this July 13, 2017, file photo, retired Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps arrives at the Kids' Choice Sports Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. (AP)
The Associated Press

Michael Phelps has finally met his match in the water: a “great white shark.”

The Olympic champion swimmer was bested Sunday night in the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week special “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.”

But Phelps didn’t swim with a real shark. He competed in the ocean against a computer-simulated fish based on data on the swimming speed of sharks.

Phelps was outfitted with a wetsuit and a monofin to mimic a shark’s powerful tail. He finished the 100 meter race in 38 seconds, two seconds slower than the simulated shark.

Phelps tweeted Sunday that he’d like a rematch, but in warmer water.