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Phelps defends Shark Week ‘race’ against great white

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Retired Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps arrives at the Kids’ Choice Sports Awards at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Don’t expect an apology from Michael Phelps to TV viewers who were disappointed with his race against a simulated great white shark for a Discovery Channel Shark Week special.

The winningest athlete in Olympic history was bested by two seconds Sunday night in “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.” The race didn’t pit Phelps against a real shark, but rather a computer-simulated fish based on data on the swimming speed of sharks.

Phelps responded to critics in a Facebook Live video Tuesday. He notes that a shark doesn’t swim in a straight line and suggested that a side-by-side race with the predator would be impossible. He later added that he made it clear before the show aired that he wouldn’t be racing a real shark.

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