Phelps defends racing against simulated shark

Fans expecting Michael Phelps to race against a real great white in his Discovery Channel special were left disappointed after learning he would be pitted against a computer-simulated shark instead.

Related - Phelps vs. Shark: The race, the results, the tweets

Phelps brushed off the criticism Tuesday during a Facebook Live session, saying people are just looking for an excuse to complain.

"Everybody wants to try to pick on something or say something or complain about something. I had fun racing a shark and seeing those animals up close and personal," he said (starts around the 12-minute mark in the video below). "If somebody actually wants to get in the water and race side by side with a great white, go ahead."

He continued to defend the race as the session went on, telling one Facebook user that it was made very clear what the race would entail.

"You can believe whatever you want. Everything was either presented on air during multiple interviews that I did throughout Shark Week or the beginning of the show. Sorry you feel that way. For me, this was something I always wanted to do and I was honored to be able to do it. I'm sorry that you feel that way, I feel very different."