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When Shaquille O’Neal Beat 28 Times Olympic Gold Medalist and No. 1 Athlete of 21st Century Michael Phelps in Swimming
Shaquille O'Neal once chose to compete against Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. The results were quite unexpected.
![Shaquille O'Neal & Michael Phelps [Credit-Instagram]](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/1850290540_shaquille-oneal-michael-phelps-credit-instagram.jpg "Shaquille O'Neal & Michael Phelps [Credit-Instagram]")
In 2009, a historic event occurred. Aside from the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Magic for the NBA championship, there was something more. Shaquille O'Neal, who was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time, appeared in the reality TV show Shaq Vs.
The ABC network aired the series, in which Shaq competed against sportsmen from several sports. The major goal of the program was to demonstrate that Shaq is the best athlete ever. To accomplish so, he challenged athletes from their respective sports. Shaq has the fortitude to try out a new sport and compete against the finest in the industry.
The first season of the show has five episodes, and the ending is unforgettable. It's one of the more fascinating episodes, with the Big Diesel giving it his all against the best Olympian.
It all started with Shaquille O'Neal challenging Michael Phelps to a race
In the fifth and final episode of Shaq Vs., the four-time champion faced off against the most decorated Olympian ever. Isn't it daring of Shaq to try his hand at swimming and challenge Michael Phelps?
By 2009, Phelps had established and broken multiple world records on his own, and it was time to test if a 7-foot-1 basketball player could beat him in his sport. (There are other handicap regulations, of course.)
Three races were scheduled, and a bet was placed. The loser was required to do anything at the discretion of the winner. This is how the tournament unfolded.
The first race went to Shaquille O’Neal
They had to level the playing field since Phelps was an Olympian with several gold medals and Shaq was a basketball legend. Swimming was Phelps' ultimate strength. So there were regulations in place for each race.
The first race was a freestyle event in which Shaquille O'Neal had to swim 25 yards and his opponent had to cover 50 yards with a five-second lead. So Shaq had to go half a lap, while Phelps had to cover 50% more ground than the 15-time NBA All-Star.
They each began at opposing positions to guarantee that they finished on the same end of the pool. Surprisingly, despite having a five-second lead, Phelps was unable to compete with the large guy and lost in the first race.
Then Michael Phelps dominated in the remaining two races
Race 2 was a relay event. A relay event in swimming typically consists of four racers swimming 100 or 200 meters together. The second task consisted of a 200 medley. Every 50 yards should have a new stroke.
Shaq had three female Olympic swimmers on his squad, whilst Phelps had to go 200 meters alone. The race began, and the team assigned Shaq as the anchor to enjoy the lead provided by the female swimmers.
As a result, Phelps lost the lead to the first three swimmers and fell well behind. As the third swimmer finished her fifty yards, Shaq leaped into the water with his black swimsuit, aiming to beat Phelps 2-0.
But, you know what they say. Never underestimate the might of a champion. Shaq had a big lead before he started, but Phelps easily came from behind to win. Shaq threw his swimming goggles after learning he had lost by less than 2 seconds.
Race three was the most intense
Both competitors were set to compete in the final race. In yet another freestyle race, Shaq had to cover 50 yards in a winner-take-all battle, while Phelps had to cover 75. Shaq gained an extra 25 yards.
But that didn't matter in front of Phelps. He glided across the water, claiming victory and earning the accolades. However, this race appeared to be the most grueling one. We almost had a picture finish as Phelps came back from behind to win. Shaq finished in 38.76 seconds, while Phelps took the gold in 38.59 seconds.
Shaq lost his triumph due to a narrow margin, resulting in a thorough defeat. As a result, he had to wear a pink swimming hat and participate in synchronized swimming with the others. Shaq has now lost all five of the challenges he issued in the series, including the one versus Phelps.
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