Michael Phelps Is Really About to Race a Great White Shark

Two of the world's finest athletes will square off in the name of good television. Michael Phelps and an as-yet-unidentified great white shark will race each other for a very special Shark Week event fittingly entitled Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.

But how does a race between a shark and a human work, exactly? Is Phelps joining Mr. Shark in the ocean, or has Mr. Shark personally challenged Phelps to a showdown at the local Y? A description on the Discovery Channel special provided to Entertainment Weekly Thursday answers none of those questions, but still manages to paint a compelling picture.

"They are one of the fastest and most efficient predators on the planet: Sharks," the description, which I'm just going to assume was written by a shark, reads. "He is our greatest champion to ever get in the water: Michael Phelps. 39 world records. 23 Olympic golds. But he has one competition left to win. An event so monumental no one has ever attempted it before. The world's most decorated athlete takes on the ocean's most efficient predator: Phelps Vs Shark – The race is on!"