Original subtitles

MAN: Over five breathtaking qualifying heats...

Oh, no! Oh, no! MAN: Oooh!

..250 of Australia's best athletes

took on the world's toughest obstacle course.

Yes!

WOMAN: This guy has got what it takes to be Australian Ninja Warrior,

I can feel it!

Only the elite made it through.

Give it up for Jack Wilson.

Brodie Pawson.

Scott Evennett.

This man is an absolute beast.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I've never seen anyone do that better.

And now, in the semifinals,

Australian Ninja Warrior just gets tougher.

The course - longer.

This is a brand-new course now.

The obstacles - harder.

Oh, no!

Even the strongest competitors can fall in the pool.

Tonight, in the first of three semifinals,

30 qualifiers face this super-sized challenge.

Among them, electrifying stuntman Luke Ha.

Arggh!

Olympic snowboarder Stephanie Magiros.

There is really nothing I cannot do.

Go, go, good thing!

And larger-than-life bush tour guide Travers Jamieson.

Whoo-hoo! Whoo!

Only seven will qualify for the grand final

and a possible shot at Mount Midoriyama...

..as the search continues

for Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

I'm Ben Fordham. I'm Freddie Flintoff.

I'm Rebecca Maddern,

and welcome to the semifinals of Australian Ninja Warrior.

All of our athletes have proven themselves

on this Ninja Warrior course.

They were extraordinary in the heats,

but tonight is where the fun really begins.

If you thought the heats were full-on, you ain't seen nothing yet.

The obstacles are gonna be tougher than ever before,

and there are more of them.

Freddie, how are you feeling?

Ben, I am so excited, and I know our ninjas are too,

'cause if they conquer the course tonight,

they'll be one step closer to the finals

and the epic challenge which is Mount Midoriyama.

We have gone from six obstacles to nine,

so let's take a look at what's standing in their way.

Tonight the world's toughest obstacle course goes up a level -

nine bigger, badder obstacles - three more than the heats -

stand in the way of our 30 ninjas.

We begin again with the Quintuple Steps -

five steps 1.5 metres apart.

The Log Grip is a big step up from the Pole Rider in heat five.

Competitors use their arms and legs to hang on through two jolting drops.

Like the Bridge of Blades,

the Spinning Log demands speed and light feet.

Ninjas must step on the very centre.

Step on either side and the log will spin violently.

Competitors struggled with the Cargo with Lache in the heats.

Tonight on the Jump Hang,

they'll launch onto a super-sized cargo net

before climbing down three metres.

On the Tyre Swing,

ninjas must swing across three hanging tyres

before making a safe dismount.

The Warped Wall is obstacle six.

This is where the heats finished,

but tonight the hard work is just beginning.

The next three obstacles really turn up the burn.

The Ring Jump sees competitors use three hanging rings

to lift themselves over a series of inclined pegs.

The penultimate obstacle is the Pole Grasper.

Ninjas must support their whole body weight

as they cross eight unevenly spaced swinging poles.

And finally, it's the Chimney Climb.

Those who make it this far will need a head for heights,

wedging themselves between the walls,

competitors free climb seven metres straight up,

and for the top seven ninjas, the grand final awaits.

Yes, tonight's course is 50% longer,

but it's 1,000% tougher.

We're gonna see a lot of great ninjas fall off.

It's gonna be cruel, but it's gonna be brilliant.

Bring it on.

That's right, Freddie. The course is gonna be brutal.

Let's kick it off with our first ninja, Travers Jamieson.

Right now he's putting the finishing touches to his warm-up.

He entered Ninja Warrior with his buddy, James,

but only Travers made the semifinal.

In his heat, Travers made it

all the way up the Warped Wall

and qualified 17th.

Doing my heat, it was a great experience.

James and I walked together.

I was getting a bit excited, really nervy.

My heart was pounding. It was great.

Look at him pumping himself up as he stares down the blades.

I had a pretty close call on the Bridge of Blades.

Oh, what a save there for Travers.

Got up. Everyone's cheering.

I'm like, "I'm good. Let's go again."

Tonight, for people at home, it's gonna be quite surprising.

They're gonna see me on TV and go, "This bloke's from Cairns?

"Yeah, right. But he's doing pretty well. That's awesome."

As a young kid, I used to love being outdoors.

It's carried over now as a tour guide.

I mean, this place is just beautiful.

Yeah, having a rainforest as your office -

you got big fig trees and vines you can just climb up like a rope.

So, it's like using the jungle for a gym.

Whoo!

Unfortunately, James isn't here to support me.

He's gutted, but he's passed me the flame now,

and he's like, "You've got this."

I do feel a bit more pressure, but don't worry, mate -

I'm gonna do us both proud.

Yoo!

Yeah, this bloke has just got fantastic energy.

Very entertaining competitor.

In his heat, he made it up the Warped Wall,

so can he go beyond tonight?

Yeah, Trav!

His girlfriend, Katherine, on the sidelines.

She's on hat duty tonight, by the looks of things.

Go, Trav!

Travers Jamieson, the first of 30 semifinalists tonight.

How will he do on his own?

That killer smile he's got there,

as he jumps onto the first of the obstacles tonight.

Really won the hearts of all the crowd.

He looks like he's a pretty casual sort of guy,

rocking up in this outfit.

Nothing casual about semifinal time on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Now it's time for the Log Grip.

There are two big thuds as you make your way through this obstacle.

Come on, Trav!

How's he going to go?

Well, he was a bit shaky on that one, but you're looking good, Travers.

Keep focus for the Spinning Log.

Now, your weight will determine, essentially,

how fast that log spins.

Come on, Trav!

Yeah, you gotta go straight down the middle.

If you go left or right, you are in strife.

Come on, mate. Let's do this, let's do this.

Oh! Oh! Oh, stay up! Stay up!

Oh! Oh, no!

He almost got there, but he ended up in the water,

and just like that, Travers's semifinal is over.

He was in trouble right from the second step.

His left foot lands outside the safe strip.

It starts the log spinning.

His right foot doesn't make contact

and suddenly he's in a full-length dive.

He tried to escape, but it wasn't to be.

Trav, you completed the course first time round.

Dude, I would've had it. I would've had it.

That thing there.

What is it about that? What was it?

Bit nervy, adrenalin pumping.

I've also got a snake in my pants.

(LAUGHTER)

I've gotta ask, though, is the snake alright down there?

That was a heavy landing.

Yeah. Yeah, it's good. It's all good?

Yeah, I'll get Kathy to check it later.

Lived to see another day. Mate, we've loved having you on the show.

Congratulations. Great effort. Cheers, Travers.

I stuffed it! Just missed it. So close.

I tried to hang on, but it does spin when you get the wrong step.

Can't judge it. There you go.

You got to take your snake out. Yeah, Freddie almost kissed it.

(LAUGHTER)

Wow, a tough start to the semifinals,

with Travers Jamieson only making it to the third obstacle.

Up next is Matthew Timms, the 'Timber Ninja',

a furniture maker who trains on the farm.

AUDIENCE: Timber Ninja! Timber Ninja!

He's got some good form on the board.

He made it all the way up the Warped Wall in the heats

and qualified tenth fastest.

I'm a furniture maker by trade.

Every piece of timber is different,

just like every person is different.

I've never competed in any sort of competition.

I've never been to a gym.

I've always trained outside with anything I've got,

and if I don't have it, I build it.

Being in the semifinals is a bit of a surprise,

because I didn't have the cleanest run.

No, you can't miss it! He's got a second chance.

He's... Oh, yeah, hang on.

He's gonna get up. He's gonna get up. He's up!

Oh, my god.

My family have come a long way to watch me,

and I didn't want to fall in,

because it would be letting them down a little bit, I suppose.

MAN: When he said he wanted to have a go at this Ninja Warrior,

I thought, "Yeah, if that's what you wanna do."

His mum's proud of him, all his family - everybody, yeah.

I'm hoping he'll go all the way, yeah. I'm hoping he will, yeah.

I couldn't have hoped for a better son, really.

Yeah, big rap from dad.

There he is on the sideline with sister, Helena,

and girlfriend, Millie.

Go, Matt! One thing at a time!

Here we go.

How will he go tonight in the semifinals?

It's got a different feel about tonight, Ben.

The competitors are far more nervous than they were in the heat,

and it means a lot more to them and their families.

Good job! Good job! Good job!

He's onto the Log Grip.

He struggled with the Pole Rider in his heat,

and this is a step up from that.

He needs to make sure his grip is rock solid.

Oh, Jesus! Hold on!

Oh, wow!

Nice save, Matthew!

Far out!

On to the Spinning Log.

Now, the aim of the game is to go straight across

as quick as you can.

Oh! Oh! He makes it.

It was ugly, but he made it.

And now the shirt comes off.

And the crowd loves it.

Jump over! Grab that net!

Now the Jump Hang. This is all about timing.

You've gotta hit the tramp in the perfect spot,

and most important of all, you gotta go high, Freddie.

Yes, he's onto the cargo net.

From here you can see every fibre in his body working hard

as he clambers underneath using his feet,

using his hands.

Look at him. Doesn't want to touch that water.

MILLIE: Take care! Take care!

No, every centimetre counts, Freddie,

and if that shirt was hanging and touching,

it'd be an instant disqualification.

Yes! Yes!

Well, other ninjas should take note of that.

You don't want anything loose on your body.

Come on, Matthew! Come on!

Comes onto the Tyre Swing.

That obstacle made an appearance in the heats,

however, it's different tonight.

There are three tyres.

The first two are hollow.

The final one's got a lid on it.

Yeah, the first two, you can grip it from above or underneath.

The third one, however, you can only grip from underneath.

Tyre two.

On to tyre three, and he's OK.

Matthew Timms, the Timber Ninja,

getting to grips with obstacle number five.

Maybe move to the front.

Oh! Oh, Matthew! So close!

Bec, he'd made it through that obstacle, and it was the dismount.

He just rushed it.

He will be absolutely shattered with that.

Oh, good on him, though. He got really far.

Bad luck.

Matthew was moving well across this obstacle,

and got the pendulum swing going on that final tyre.

Unfortunately, he attempted the dismount far too early,

releasing his grip before the third tyre had completed its swing.

The result - he fell well short.

You did so well.

That hurt, that log. That really did.

That's alright. You did a good job. Well done.

Travers and Matthew completed the course in their heats,

but both struggled tonight.

They're not out of it, though.

The top seven ninjas who go the furthest the fastest

will qualify for the grand final.

Tonight it's the first semifinal,

and only the best of the best will make it through.

He used his ballet experience

to dance all the way up the Warped Wall.

I was just trying to go, go, go.

Sensational!

Later, William Laister takes the stage for his encore performance.

Arborist Ryan Roberts got into the swing of things during the heats.

I feel like I take on the traits of the real-life Tarzan.

I really feel that's who I am.

But can Tarzan tame the course tonight?

And he's a male model and a fashion blogger.

Will Nathan McCallum be looking good

for a grand final spot after his run?

I'm confident in my abilities.

But next, the 'Disco Ninja' Betsy Burnett

brings her moves to the semifinal.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where our competitors are struggling to make headway

against this super-sized semifinal course.

BEN: While you were away,

the 'Karate Kid' Matt Ah Chow took on the spinning log.

He'll blitz this.

Oh!

The Karate Kid down.

Superhero enthusiast and dad of two Sean Hosking

was hoping his flash outfit would speed him through.

Just went a little bit too quick.

And one of the fastest ninjas in the heats,

Ricko Tralongo started well...

Nice work.

..until he also found the log too hot to handle.

FREDDIE: Just didn't quite get the distance. Couldn't quite cling on.

With only the top seven guaranteed a place in the grand final,

let's see if our next ninja can make it any further.

Heading to the start is the Disco Ninja -

our second shortest competitor at just 4'11", Betsy Burnett.

Yeah, babe!

Although she went out on the Cargo with Lache

in heat three,

she just managed to qualify in 17th place.

BETSY: I used to do freestyle disco dancing.

It was fast, high paced, high intensity,

and that's exactly what's required for Ninja Warrior.

So, bring it on.

The heats were amazing.

(CHEERING)

Sadly I dropped out in the fourth obstacle.

My fingers just grazed the bar.

I knew that I could've made that jump,

and that was one thing that I was really gutted about.

So, I'm excited to have another go at that

and prove that these little legs can do it.

I can't believe that I'm in the semifinals.

My mum, my dad, both my sisters, and my grandparents

are gonna be cheering me on.

So, I'm back!

I'm the Disco Ninja

and I'm here to bust some moves like you've never seen before.

Yeah, the Burnett clan well represented tonight.

She's a personal trainer.

She brings dance to everything she does, and what an outfit!

It's good.

Hopefully the legwarmers will get her over that Spinning Log, Ben.

Yeah, that is an obstacle that's proving a real test tonight.

Off she goes on the Quintuple Steps. Freddie?

FREDDIE: Just one of two girls in tonight.

What she lacks in height,

she makes up for in power and sheer determination

as she comes up to the Log Grip.

At 70kg, that log weighs considerably more than she does.

And there'll be two big drops on the way down.

She grips her teeth, hangs on.

One, two.

Oh, she makes it, and aren't they happy about that?

Everyone so far has mastered the Log Grip,

but only Matthew Timms has gone further than this next obstacle.

She's only 50kg. That means she's light as a feather.

I reckon this Spinning Log won't even know it's got someone on it.

She's home! She's there! You little ripper!

Betsy makes it across, and isn't she pumped?

Come on, Bets!

This is the big one coming up.

It's the Jump Hang, and at 3.5 metres,

the gap from the tramp to the net is more than twice her height.

AUDIENCE: Go, Betsy! Go, Betsy!

Is she going to have enough weight

to catapult herself off the trampoline and onto that net?

No! No!

Oh, no! WOMAN: Well done, Bets!

She had everything going for her,

and you can see on the replay where she went wrong.

She hits the trampoline too far forward,

doesn't get the spring needed,

and just couldn't cling onto the net.

Freddie, she's still smiling.

You did look like you was enjoying yourself out there, though.

Oh, course, I was loving it,

but, um... wow, so happy I made that third obstacle,

as it's taken out a few competitors tonight,

but just happy to be here.

Whoo!

I think the crowd are happy you're here, we're happy you're here.

It's a great effort, Betsy. Unlucky.

Once again, Betsy falls short on the fourth obstacle,

but remember, she's not done yet.

The top seven competitors will go through.

You did so good!

Our next ninja - Luke Ha,

a Hollywood stuntman who stole the show during his heat.

Can he do the same in the semis?

He qualified seventh from heat three

after a flawless run

that took him all the way up the Warped Wall.

This man is so determined and so strong.

LUKE: When I got to the top of the Warped Wall,

hit that buzzer, turned around and saw the audience going mad,

it was just a big rush, like an adrenalin hit.

Arggh!

My wife and my son will be in the audience again.

It makes a difference to me,

because my wife is just a great support to me.

Whoo-hoo!

Being a stuntman, I think I have a fairly good chance.

The upper body strength that I have from climbing ropes and poles

gives me a good opportunity to win the title.

Tonight I'll be focusing on one obstacle at a time,

one footing at a time, one hand placement at a time.

Yeah, I hope one day my son's very proud of me.

Whoa!

Gotta make sure you just get through it

and don't quit till they say 'cut'.

He looks focused, determined.

He's also got his lucky charm watching on tonight -

two-year-old Levi, there with mum, Eliza.

He was fantastic during the heats.

So fantastic, so strong.

Luke Ha. He's 30 years of age.

Pretty light - 65kg.

He stands around 5'7".

So, he's got a good body for this course.

ELIZA: You're going really well!

That's it! Up the ramp!

Quick through that first obstacle. Now time for the Log Grip.

The more surface area you can get on that log, the better.

Come on, sweetie! Come on!

That's it, that's it!

Oh, come on! Yes! Yes!

And Luke Ha makes it through pretty well.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He now sizes up the Spinning Log.

FREDDIE: All about speed on here, all about balance.

Fancy footwork there.

Started to lose it at one point, but just leapt off.

AUDIENCE: Use the force! Use the force! Use the force!

The crowd right behind him, chanting, "Use the force."

ELIZA: You can do it, Luke!

And he now launches himself onto the cargo net.

That's a perfect landing. Good job!

Starts making his way down.

This net is 3.5 metres long -

a lot longer than in the heats,

and that makes it a test of concentration

as much as a test of grip strength and endurance.

You can do it! Yes, that's it!

Come on, Luke. Keep your feet up!

FREDDIE: No silly mistakes at this point, Luke.

Slow and deliberate, but that might do it tonight.

Just gotta finish this course,

give yourself a chance of getting into the finals.

Whoo!

Oh, this crowd is so pumped.

Luke is on to the fifth obstacle,

and nobody, nobody, has gone past this point.

The Tyre Swing. Onto the rope.

Starts to climb up that rope

so that he's got a great chance to get some purchase on the first tyre.

This is graceful.

This is so graceful!

Luke Ha, this is your moment.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Oh! Luke Ha exiting the final tyre far too soon.

Could've taken another swing.

Luke's form was great through the first two tyres,

but just like Timber Ninja Matthew Timms,

Luke picks the wrong moment to dismount,

this time as the tyre is on its way back.

His body twists through the air,

but he can't stick the landing on the other side.

Luke will be disappointed he couldn't make it up the Warped Wall

and face the final three obstacles on the other side,

but Baby Levi's still proud of his dad.

Aww!

Now, this semifinal is proving to be every bit as tough as we thought.

Can our ninjas step up?

Coming up, he's performed countless movie stunts with Luke Ha,

but will Mike Snow have a blockbuster run tonight?

Oh, I'm pretty keen to hit the old buzzer.

Aviation firefighter Alex Matthews thinks he's got what it takes

to make the top seven.

A jack of all trades and a master of none, as they say.

And next, he owns his own ninja academy.

With the course cutting everybody down to size,

can David Ravi use his experience to go through all nine obstacles?

This is my life. I've literally put everything on the line to be here.

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where, so far, none of our competitors have been able

to make it past the fifth obstacle on this semifinal course.

While you were away,

more of our ninjas put themselves to the test.

REBECCA: Cobi Head, the fastest ninja from heat three, was at it again.

This is quick.

This is very good... Oh, too quick.

..but he's quickly in the pool.

Celebrity trainer Lee Campbell just couldn't get the swing of things.

Onto the first tyre.

Oh, wow!

And surfer Jaymes Wright also fell short

as the Tyre Swing claimed its fifth victim.

FREDDIE: Oh, no, no!

What is happening to the ninjas this evening?

Let's see if our next ninja can do better.

Next up, it's David Ravi.

He entered with his brother, Mark, who didn't make the semis.

So, now David is the last Ravi standing.

David took his time in the heats,

and it paid dividends,

as he completed the course

and made it through in eighth place.

DAVID: I became a chartered accountant and just wasn't happy.

I was like, "Is this really my life path for the next 20, 30 years?"

Fitness has always been a big part of my life,

and once I made that decision to open Ninja Academy,

with Mark, my younger brother,

my entire life has changed.

WOMAN: You can do it, David. You can do it.

After training in his own ninja gym,

the 28-year-old is now facing the Warped Wall.

Just straight up! It's easy - easy!

I know I'm not the fastest guy in the semifinals.

Yes!

But my approach is just get through each obstacle

and worry about the speed later.

David Ravi - one of the top competitors.

He just showed us why.

Having Mark run alongside me is super important.

I can look down, get some valuable advice,

or give me a, you know, kick up the arse to get going.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm desperate to get in the grand final. This is my life.

I have literally put everything on the line to be here,

and if I can get to that buzzer tonight,

it would just mean the world to me.

Just breathe. One at a time, one at a time.

There's Mark, offering words of encouragement on the sidelines,

hoping David can do what no-one else has been able to do so far,

and that's finish this course.

You got this. You got this.

He's one of the big favourites,

chasing a place in the top seven.

And moving confidently through the Quintuple Steps.

You got it, man. You got it. Hold on tight. You got this.

David made it all the way up the Warped Wall in the heats,

if you remember, but as we've already seen,

this semifinal course is very unforgiving.

Easy! Easy!

He's getting a lot of encouragement

from his brother, Mark, on the sideline, Freddie.

FREDDIE: Now, if there's any nerves in them legs,

if there's any butterflies,

the Spinning Log will find them out.

Speed! Dive if you have to.

You've gotta get through this thing quickly. It's like a bandaid.

The faster you rip it off, the better you're gonna be.

Yes!

Oh, they breathe a sigh of relief

once they get through the Spinning Log.

You've got the rest. The rest is control.

Yeah, but another big challenge awaits - the Jump Hang.

You've almost gotta be like a sugar glider

when you're taking on this obstacle,

arms outstretched, flying from tree to tree.

Off the tramp, onto the cargo net.

Textbook from David Ravi.

Don't worry about time. Keep above the water, man. You got it.

His brother shouting, "Don't worry about time.

"Just complete the course."

As he comes under the net,

deliberately using his feet, using his arms, using his hands.

You're almost there. Nice control.

His face - an intense focus, concentration.

Freddie, you know that one wrong hand

or one wrong foot at this point...

Oh, he's so close to the pool, but he gets himself onto the mat,

and that is four obstacles down for David Ravi.

Dude, you got the rest of this.

This is your strength now. This is you.

He squares up now to take a look at the Tyre Swing.

Come on!

Nobody has been able to make it past this point so far.

Will David finally be the first?

Easy, easy! Starts well.

Swing! Use the rope. That's it, that's it.

And onto the second tyre. Come on, David.

Don't spend too long. You got it, man.

We've seen a few on the course tonight

try and exit this apparatus too quickly

and end up in the water.

Take your time, take that extra swing.

Get a good swing. Good swing and then pop your hips!

Yes, David Ravi!

Oh! Oh, man! Oh, my god. Your foot was this close.

Well, David now becomes the on-course leader,

but look how close he was to the water.

He made the same mistake of dismounting too early,

but this time David was good enough

to hold his left leg clear of that water.

And now, for the first time tonight, the Warped Wall.

He knows he can climb this wall.

He's already done it and he's straight up there.

He does not falter.

And David Ravi gets the first look at the last three obstacles.

He's into new territory now as he steps down to the Ring Jump.

This is where it gets real. It's not the heats.

This is for a place in the Ninja Warrior final.

And, Freddie, this is one hell of a challenge.

This is all about upper body strength.

You've gotta lift your entire body weight.

They're like full body pull-ups.

One jump at a time, man. One jump at a time.

You got this. You got this.

Does he have the upper body power to lift his own body weight,

time and time again, through this next obstacle?

The only way you fail this is if you let go.

Just don't let go and you got it.

That's it. Nice.

You must go past each peg on the first stage of this obstacle.

Does he have enough focus?

Does he have enough strength to get him through?

That's it!

The focus isn't gonna be a problem.

He's really taken a lot of extra time,

but it's the question of the strength -

whether or not his arms can withhold all of the burn

that'll be ripping through them at the moment.

The longer you're up there, the more they hurt.

Stay strong.

Mark's on the sideline, egging his brother on.

My brother would not be giving me any encouragement whatsoever.

My brother would want to see me flat in the water.

Now he's gotta transfer across.

That's right, that's right. Just reach out. You got it.

He's onto the final ring.

Needs to bring his left hand to his right. Yes, David.

Wrap the thumbs, wrap the thumbs. That's it. That's it.

You're almost there!

Now, hold on tight for this one, man. Hold on tight.

My arms would be burning now.

He's hurting.

Oh, he's really feeling this!

His arms are fully extended now.

I don't know how much more he's got left.

If he can get over that peg,

and more importantly, hold on as the ring comes down...

No! Oh, no!

That's alright. Dude, come on.

He just took too long.

He was spent by the time he got to the middle of that obstacle.

It's alright, man. That's alright. Dude.

David showed good form on his way up the Jump Ring,

but by the time he got to the last ring,

his arms were at full stretch.

With his strength fading fast,

he tried valiantly to get over the final few pegs,

but just couldn't hang on any longer.

David, I am absolutely gutted.

I can't imagine how you're feeling.

Knackered.

Yeah, I didn't think I'd gas out.

I probably underestimated that one.

Great to have your brother on the side, supporting you all the way.

Oh, yeah. I couldn't have even got that far without him.

Unbelievable effort.

Crowd loved it, we loved it, your brother loved it.

Well done, David. Great effort, pal.

Well done, David.

Oh, he's shattered.

Desperately disappointing for David.

He's gone further than anyone else so far, though.

That puts him in the driving seat

to be one of the seven ninjas through to the grand finals.

You did us proud, alright? You did us proud.

Still to come on Ninja Island,

he blitzed his heat and thought he'd set the quickest time,

but he was wrong.

The second-fastest time of the night.

Tonight William Laister is back to prove

he really is the fastest ninja.

And Olympic snowboarder Stephanie Magiros.

Time to go ninja. Oh, you're gonna go awesome.

Thank you. So proud.

It's just like gymnastics. Do the beam.

Just do your best. Just do your best.

She may be small, but she's got big ambition.

REBECCA: The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

all want to make it through the course in record time.

BEN: But it's the ninja who goes furthest and fastest

that will be given the title of Performance of the Night.

Thanks to Berocca.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where we've just seen David Ravi become the first semifinalist

past the Warped Wall

before crashing out on the Ring Jump.

Warming up right now is Instagram sensation Nathan McCallum.

He'll be on the course soon,

hoping to prove he's more than just good looks.

Meanwhile, back on the course, it's Neal Holmes.

He's a circus performer from Blackburn, England,

which means he speaks fluent Freddie Flintoff.

You love him, don't you, Freddie?

FREDDIE: How much I would enjoy seeing a man from Blackburn

winning Australian Ninja Warrior,

but first, the Tyre Swing.

Well, Freddie, he made it all the way in his heat in pretty good time.

He'll be hoping for something similar tonight.

But first he needs to stick this landing.

And he does,

and becomes only the second ninja to get past the Tyre Swing.

He completed the course last time,

which means he's gone up that wall.

Having said that, you can't take anything for granted

in the semifinals of Australian Ninja Warrior.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall!

What do you reckon, Fred?

Come on, Neal. Do it for the north.

Do it for Blackburn! Do it for England!

Yes, Neal Holmes onto the top of the Warped Wall,

but now the course gets real.

He's not seen any of these obstacles before.

And he is going to have to do something pretty special

to make it through the Ring Jump.

Every time you jump one of these pegs,

you're lifting your own body weight.

It's simply incredible, because you need to work from your legs

all the way up to the top of your shoulders.

Does he have the upper body strength

to negotiate his way through this obstacle?

He certainly looks quicker than David Ravi was,

and that should hopefully minimise the burn in his arms right now.

They always get very nervous coming up to the transition.

You've gotta release yourself from one ring

and get that other hand over onto the new ring.

Can he do it? Yes, he does.

And now over one peg.

Oh, not over! No!

Hang on, Neal. He's tired. He's tired.

He's gotta stop, he's gotta regain his energy.

Come on, Neal. You are 'Nonstop Neal'.

Do not stop now, son. Do not stop now.

Come on, Neal. One big jump over the peg.

Yes! Oh! He's done it!

Oh! Oh!

He struggled with the peg

and he found himself in the bottom of the pool.

Take a look at Neal's grip just before he falls.

At this stage, his arms are screaming.

It takes a massive effort to jump over that last peg,

but Neal's grip is reduced to his fingertips.

As the ring slides down and hits the next peg,

it leaves him no chance of hanging on.

Freddie, just one little mistake there.

Neal. Mate.

Come here. Come here, Neal.

Like long-lost cousins.

This is the time of the night where we'll need subtitles.

I was hoping, I was praying,

that the man from the north of England was gonna keep going,

but it just got a bit too tough on the rings.

Dude, just that last one.

I was hanging out for too long.

I guess I underestimated it a little bit.

Mate, it was a great effort.

Thanks very much. Thanks, guys.

Let's have one more cuddle. Come on.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Even though neither

completed the course,

Neal joins David Ravi

on top of the leaderboard,

and both remain in contention

to go through to the grand final.

And right now, in the warm-up gym, another competitor with designs

on one of those top seven qualifying spots,

William Laister.

In his heat,

William laid down an unbelievably fast time

that saw him ultimately qualify in second place.

He's realising that time is of the essence.

He wants to make a go of this.

WILLIAM: Running the heat, yeah, I thought went pretty well.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I was just trying to go, go, go.

The second-fastest time of the night.

Sensational!

That's so quick! I can't believe it.

Oh, my god!

WILLIAM: Now that I made the semis, it's definitely more real.

Like, the obstacles are gonna be harder

and everyone that's here has the potential to hit the buzzer.

I have the ability to get to Mount Midoriyama

and to climb the rope, I definitely do.

I'm fast, I can jump.

I've got all the physical attributes to hopefully win this.

It's just more up here. I gotta control this.

You know, compose myself.

Just control that heart rate a little bit more.

A little less nerves.

I don't know how I'm gonna go with that, but I guess we'll find out.

Here is 25-year-old William.

He showed other ninjas how to tackle this course in the heats,

but this is a longer course that nobody has come close to finishing.

Yeah, have a look on the sideline.

Will's mum, Lyn, dad, Bill, his girlfriend, Lee,

and they are hoping they're about to watch something special.

He did ballet from three to seven years of age,

gymnastics from age eight to 12.

So, a pretty good combination of grip strength and coordination.

And once again he dances through the steps,

and up to the Log Grip.

FREDDIE: Needs to cling on for all its worth

as it starts driving down.

Get them legs on, Will.

He's very agile, but how's he gonna go here on the Spinning Log?

So quick!

Isn't he pleased to have made it?

He knew that was a tough obstacle.

Wow, he's making no mistakes here.

Clings on not just with his hands, but his arms.

OK, now he comes down the net

and he's moving through this very quickly.

Take your time! It's OK!

The family on the sidelines cheering him on.

Don't rush. Don't rush.

This young man does not want to make a silly mistake.

Look at the concentration in his face.

Doesn't want to touch that water.

BEN: Let's see how he deals with the Tyre Swing.

Three tyres, and he's gotta negotiate his way through all three.

Great technique.

Look how strong he is, Ben, overhead. This is amazing.

Yeah, effortless on the tyres.

So relaxed and comfortable.

Now, make sure of it. He does!

He's looking really strong again, Ben.

Doesn't take any time getting up the Warped Wall.

Now, over he goes, the great divide,

and he gets his first look at the Ring Jump.

Those first three pegs, you must go over each one individually,

and then not only are you having to lift your entire body weight up,

you're then having to sustain it as the fully bodyweight comes down.

And every time you come back down...

Come on, Will!

..the body just jars.

Well done.

Now you can grab the second one

and you can distribute that body weight a little bit better.

As long as you stay out of the water,

it's up to you how you negotiate your way

through the next part of the course.

Oh, my word, this has got to be hurting the arms,

hurting the shoulders, edging closer.

He's onto the final ring.

Oh, he skips two of them at once.

Starts to get the swing happening,

and he makes it all the way.

That's a huge dismount.

Ben, this is further than anyone else has gone,

but there are still two obstacles left.

The Pole Grasper is unique

in that the feet are so important.

Now, the lower you are down the pole,

the more swing the poles have.

The higher up, the less swing.

Look at him, though, concentrating,

however, the important part is finishing the course.

So many of our athletes tonight have tried and failed.

He won't want to be adding to that list.

This run is unbelievable.

He's 25 years of age and showing the rest of the field how to do it,

and he's going through this course at a lightning speed!

Every muscle in the body is being used!

Oh, William!

I thought that he was gonna slip!

There's only one more obstacle, and it's called the Chimney Climb.

Oh, after eight exhausting obstacles,

he faces seven metres straight up.

No handholds.

Nothing but strength and desire to get you to the top.

Here we go - William Laister.

Needs to wedge his arms, wedge his feet, push himself up.

And the crowd says, "Climb, climb, climb."

Four metres, five metres, six metres, seven metres!

His head pops out onto the top of the Chimney Climb!

He's there!

He hits the buzzer!

What power! What strength!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

What an absolutely incredible run from William Laister.

The 25-year-old from Victoria becomes the first

to make it all the way to the top of the Chimney Climb.

How are you feeling, champion? Oh, I feel fantastic.

That was... It was a lot harder than it looked.

The hardest one was actually the rings, that one, but it was fun.

I wanna do it again. That was great.

Mate, you will get to do it again, but not right now.

Go and have a breather. Congratulations.

Thank you so much, guys.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Right from the start,

William attacked the semifinal course with no fear.

He tackled every obstacle with precision, power, and speed,

riding his luck, dismounting from the Tyre Swing,

and even when he did get bogged down on the Pole Grasper,

he was able to work it out

and make it all the way up the Chimney Climb.

A stellar performance.

Mate, I'm astonished.

You got through the course the first time in 1:20.

You blitzed it again.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And, Lyn, look at you. You had your heart in your mouth.

You're clutching your chest. I'm sorry. I was crying.

Oh, you're crying as well! Oh!

He was amazing, though, wasn't he?

It's so... I can't believe it.

He's just... He was always...

His body's just made for this sort of stuff.

He absolutely laps it up, loves it so much.

I'm just so happy for him.

Yeah, he is made from this,

and I can tell you, it's not from Bill, is it, eh?

William, go and give your mum a hug.

Go on, get in there. Get in there.

BEN: William Laister stamps his authority on the semifinal,

and proves once again he's a real contender

to take out the title of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Still to come,

last time tree surgeon Ryan Roberts cut the course down to size.

Fastest qualifier yet.

Tonight he sets his sights on his biggest challenge ever.

But next, he did it ugly in the heats.

And here he goes - second attempt. No!

After the break,

Instagram model Nathan McCallum knows all eyes are on him.

REBECCA: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

It looked like this semifinal course had the better of our ninjas...

..until 25-year-old Victorian William Laister

danced through all nine obstacles to the top of the Chimney,

likely securing one of only seven grand final spots on offer.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

And our next ninja more than fancies his chances.

BEN: Yes, next on the course,

fashion blogger, Instagram sensation Nathan McCallum.

He qualified tenth from a tough heat,

and suffered a few lumps and bumps

as he completed the course.

The life of a blogger is a great life. I'm pretty blessed.

I travel the world all the time.

My job is to document the world of men's style.

I want to inspire people to be

the best versions of themselves they can be.

During my heat, the obstacles looked doable and I got through them OK.

Nathan's making a few mistakes.

A few stumbles, but it's alright.

And here he goes - second attempt. No!

He did it! He did it! Yes!

Coming into the semifinals,

agility and speed, I'm not worried about.

I'm confident in my abilities.

To become Australia's first Ninja Warrior,

that's something to be proud of.

If you look good while you're doing it, that's just a bonus.

Now, you know I don't like to get ahead of myself, Bec,

but in a couple of minutes from now,

this man will complete the Chimney Climb

and catapult himself into the final.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, off he goes. Will he get to the Chimney Climb?

Nice starts through the Quintuple Steps for Nathan McCallum.

Have a look at his form.

This bloke is just such a fit competitor.

He just threw that log away, Freddie!

FREDDIE: Now he's on to the Spinning Log.

Claimed a lot of people tonight.

Oh, he's quick through the log.

Don't celebrate yet, young man! There's still a long way to go!

So far, this is a perfect run of the course.

Oh, yes! Good speed.

MAN: Feet up, feet up, feet up!

Support crew Walter, James, and Bede in good voice.

He's going for a fast time. Needs to keep out of that water.

Oooh, the right leg there just falling down.

Getting perilously close to that water.

Closer still, but didn't touch.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He is so quick through this, he's so nimble, he's so agile,

and he's not wasting any time as he approaches the Tyre Swing.

He did struggle with the Tyre to Cargo Net in his heat, though.

How will he go with the three tyres this time?

The upper body strength comes in here

and this is where, just like a monkey,

he will swing on these tyres,

and this time is terrific.

That's it, buddy.

Onto the third one now. Underneath, he goes.

That's it!

Oh, just manages to make it onto dry land.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The crowd chanting, "Beat the wall."

It took him three attempts last time.

He's got something to prove tonight.

Straight to the top and pulls himself up.

He's loving his work. You got it! You got it!

Now has his first look at the Ring Jump.

This is gonna test his grip, it's gonna test his arms,

it's gonna test his shoulders, it's gonna test his desire.

He doesn't need to do it this fast,

but he's pretty determined to make the fastest time tonight.

Come on, mate. That's it, buddy.

Have a look at every single muscle in his body.

Look at that back strength there.

Across the biceps, the triceps, and don't forget the core!

You've got your eye on every part of him.

Now reaching across to that last ring.

His arms are beginning to straighten a little.

Is he feeling it? Oh, hang on!

Big slide, big slide. Yes! That's the boy!

Gaining a bit of momentum as he goes for the dismount.

Oh, nice work.

He's looking really strong as he comes up to the Pole Grasper.

And the nerves kick in, because it's semifinals time,

and there are obstacles like this that he's never encountered before.

He weighs 75kg, so that is pretty light.

Yeah, and the lighter competitors are,

the more they'll have an advantage,

because you're holding your whole bodyweight up,

and there's no grip on these poles.

They were polished aluminium.

Oh! Oh!

Now, what's he going to do?

He's just reassessing things, because that stretch there,

it's a really big one, especially for someone who's 5'7".

I know he said he'd go all the way, and I still think he will,

but he is sliding further down those poles.

Oh, he is really feeling this now.

Every muscle in his arm is burning.

This is hard for him. Look at them.

They're dropping off the bottom of the pole.

Sliding down. He won't wanna get his hair wet.

Looks like he spent ages doing that tonight.

You can see it on his face. He's in pain and he's gone.

Oh!

Just when we thought he was going to go all the way to the Chimney,

oh, he shoulders more than we'd bargained more.

Let's check the replay.

Nathan's main problem

was that he didn't climb high enough on the poles.

The further through he went, the lower he slipped,

and as his arms tired,

in the end he could not hang on,

and ended up in that pool.

Nathan, do us a favour, just pull your shorts up.

It's hanging out at the back there.

Gotta give the people what they want.

I don't think they want that.

Anyway, Nathan, it was going so well.

You was dancing through, and I didn't see that coming.

I don't suppose you did neither. Saw what coming - me dancing?

No, you falling in the water.

Oh, I felt it coming pretty fast.

Got to the end one, it was coming up hard and fast.

Oh, it was a great effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, big clap for Nathan.

Even the strongest competitors can fall in the pool.

Yeah, I thought he was gonna complete that semifinal course,

but that doesn't mean he's out, by a long shot.

Remember, it comes down to how far you get and how fast you do it.

Coming up, Winter Olympian and pro snowboarder Stephanie Magiros

ready to take flight.

I went from a beginner snowboarder to Olympics in just six years.

Alex Matthews back from the brink after breaking his neck.

MAN: To become Australia's first Ninja Warrior,

it would mean a lot to me.

Just a real justification for how hard I've worked

to get where I am now.

And tonight's youngest competitor, student Rob Patterson,

takes on the Ninja Warrior course.

Every challenge you've ever done, you've... got there.

So, you're gonna do it again.

This is just the next one. Yep. Next challenge.

Love you, mate. Thanks, Mum.

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where, so far, only one competitor has managed to complete

this brutal semifinal course.

And while you were away, three more ninjas tried their luck.

Gentle giant Rory Rhodes started his semifinal campaign with high hopes.

REBECCA: Look how easily somebody who stands at 6'9"

goes across the Quintuple Steps.

How will the height play out here, though, on the Log?

But came back down to Earth with a bump.

And you've gotta have some sympathy for him,

because the impact zone was delicate.

Scaffolder Nic Turriff...

OK, how's he gonna go on the Spinning Log?

He's through it.

..managed to go one better, but wasn't able to build on his success.

He's away, and he's in the water.

And comedian 'MJ' - Martin Sta Ana -

was on course for a thriller...

Great form through this Tyre Swing!

..but ended up in a nightmare.

Oh, there's a foot in the water, Bec!

How did that happen?! So close!

Our next competitor is Alex Matthews,

an aviation firefighter with an impressive moustache.

Alex was quietly efficient in heat four,

completing the course in the seventh fastest time.

82... 83...

Oh, hey. Didn't see you there.

Oh, I'll finish them off later.

I generally don't try to take myself too seriously,

as you can probably tell by the moustache.

It started off as a bit of a joke,

and it's a big part of me now.

I wouldn't recognise myself without it.

In the heat, the hardest obstacle for me was the Pipe Climber.

This has been a spectacular performance.

Making the transition from the first swing to the second pipe,

it was down to fingertips.

This is tough work. We don't want that moustache getting wet.

I thought I was going in the drink for sure.

Come on, Alex. He's snuck under our radar, hasn't he?

Yeah, with little fuss.

I'm average at a lot of things,

and not too crash hot at one thing in specific.

A jack of all trades and a master of none, as they say.

Coming into the semifinals, there's such a variety of obstacles.

I think that's what you need.

Ninja Warrior, I put fires out for a living,

but tonight I'm gonna set this course alight.

FREDDIE: Alex Matthews, the man with the magnificent moustache.

He'll be hoping to take his body and that moustache

one step further by completing the semifinal course.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

Here we go - the Quintuple Steps.

He's done it before in the heats, but this time we mean business.

I remember this guy, Ben.

He sort of looks like Super Mario, don't you think?

He does, and just like the video game,

you've gotta negotiate your way

through an obstacle course and get to the end,

and avoid danger along the way.

Oh!

Rides those two jolts down nicely

and moves very quickly onto the Spinning Log.

This course is tough.

Need speed, need agility, need balance.

Oh, and he's through there.

Too good!

AUDIENCE: Alex! Alex! Alex! Alex!

You've got to have a great leap on you to get to the cargo net,

and he does!

He hits the net hard, but he hangs on.

That's an interesting technique.

I know exactly what he's doing there.

He's tightening up the T-shirt

so the T-shirt does not fall into the pool,

'cause if any part of you or any part of your clothing does,

that means you're out.

I love the thinking that's gone into that.

He's not just got strength, he's got brains, this lad, as well.

And he's got determination,

because he was in a car accident and broke his neck

less than two years ago.

Tough as!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

This guy is really good. He's light and he's strong.

He's also got awesome core strength,

and that's gonna come into play on the Tyre Swing.

OK, here he goes.

From the rope onto the first tyre.

This obstacle has claimed many victims, but he's got good grip.

He's quick, he's smart.

And now he'll have a shot at climbing the wall.

He nailed the 4.2 metres in the heats,

but he needs to do it again tonight.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

And you'll see, Bec, he's using the crowd to fire himself up,

and he's there!

Alex Matthews on top of the wall again,

but it's not over yet for the man with the mo.

Many of the obstacles in the first part of the course,

they'll be familiar with, Ben.

They know what it's all about.

However, there are obstacles like this one

that they've never seen before.

It's the Ring Jump now.

The Pipe Climber caused him some hairy moments in the heat -

the transitions in particular, if you remember.

It'll be interesting to see how much he's learned from that.

This is where his light frame will come into play.

We've seen the big lads, we've seen the muscle-bound ones,

but you've gotta carry them muscles round the course.

Alex Matthews, he's strong, but he's lean, he's supple.

Yeah, he showed a surprising amount of upper body strength

in the heat, Freddie.

He's going to need it on this transition.

He's on the final ring.

Tries to get over the peg, but struggles.

A few have done the same right there.

Come on, Alex. Come on, Alex. Yes, Alex!

That ring can get hooked in all sorts of awkward places.

And this is where the strength comes into play,

because he'll be tired now.

Those arms will be burning.

Oh, incredible stuff!

Alex becomes only the third ninja to make it this far.

The 33-year-old from Western Australia

now steeling himself for the Pole Grasper.

Look at his forehead. He's not even broke sweat!

There's not even a drip of sweat coming off his moustache.

This lad's cool! This lad's calm!

This lad's figuring it out.

This lad is getting through the Ninja Warrior course,

but can he get through to the finals?

He's looking a little bit lost here.

He needs to find his way through, and find it fast.

Two more poles to grasp and then you're back on dry land.

He's straining a little bit,

but if he can just complete this without falling into the water,

Alex Matthews is going to get a shot at the Chimney Climb.

Push back, push back, push back!

And he will!

And every muscle will be aching, begging for him to stop.

AUDIENCE: Climb! Climb! Climb! Climb! Climb! Climb!

He needs one last big effort.

The crowd up on its feet, cheering him on.

Come on, Alex! The end is in sight!

Come on! Get that moustache to the top of the Chimney!

Up to level five! Up to level six!

Using his shoulders, using his legs, using his feet!

He's up there. He's done it.

Hits the buzzer, arms in the air,

and, bam, the fireworks go off on Ninja Island.

Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Alex Matthews!

He finally gets the chance to take a breath.

You must be spent!

I am gassed, exhausted, but that was unreal - unreal.

My friends and family couldn't be here tonight,

so this is my friends and family, and they were bloody unreal.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Thanks, guys. Thank you!

Alex's run was a master class in thinking on your feet.

He made a plan for each obstacle, and then executed.

From pulling his T-shirt over his head on the Jump Hang

to rehearsing his Tyre Swing,

Alex's run was all about technique over speed and power.

The crowd plays a big part,

and we've just seen from Alex Matthews,

he's relying on the crowd to will him all the way through the course.

And will him, they did,

all the way into second

on the leaderboard,

pushing fashion blogger

Nathan McCallum to third,

while David Ravi

drops to fifth.

Remember, only the top seven

make it through to the grand final,

meaning Luke Ha

is out of contention.

Right now in the warm-up gym are snowboard legend Stephanie Magiros

and Hollywood stuntman Mike Snow -

two competitors with their sights firmly set on hitting that buzzer.

And later, Team Tarzan is getting ready to roar for their hero.

REBECCA: Welcome back to the first semifinal

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Before the break,

we saw Alex Matthews force himself into the grand final picture.

BEN: The fireworks go off on Ninja Island!

But on the course right now,

stuntman Mike Snow,

who made short work of the course in the heat,

finishing with the third fastest time, Freddie.

FREDDIE: He started where he left off in the heat.

He's just demolishing the course so far.

Oh, shut the gate! Look at that!

You need to store this man in your memory right now.

Mike Snow - this bloke's something special.

Now he's gotta get through the Ring Jump.

Oh, look at the height he's got over the pegs.

He's clearing them by inches.

We have not seen another competitor do this.

The entire course is just shaking.

Two hands on one ring.

Makes the transfer now,

and reaches the part of the obstacle

that's caused the most trouble tonight.

Now making his way down the other side.

He's gonna have a long leap. Yes, he does it!

Oh, wow! I would not like to back against this young man.

Now the Pole Grasper.

We haven't seen Mike Snow tested on anything like this.

The feet come into it so much, and he's 85kg,

so that may work against him,

but it'll just come down to that core strength.

Look how high he goes.

We've not seen anyone go as high as this on the poles so far.

The higher you are up those poles, the less that they move.

So tactical!

He's really thought about, "How am I gonna give myself the best shot?"

He doesn't want to go anywhere near the water.

Nice and high, great strength, great technique.

Now he's just gotta figure out how he's gonna get off.

And now he goes even higher, even though he's on the last pole.

Where are you going? Where are you going, Mike?

Where you going?

Oh, it's OK, Freddie. Nice dismount from Mike Snow.

He makes his way to the final obstacle, the Chimney Climb.

He has got to be hurting now, Ben.

That seven metre climb is going to feel more like seven miles.

He can do it. He's the sporty one in the family.

Mum, dad, and his sister are all academic.

Come on, Mike.

Four metres. Five metres. Six metres. Seven metres.

He's up, and he is on top of the world on Ninja Island.

Mike Snow, what an impressive run! Well done, champ.

Let's look back at the Pole Grasper.

Mike Snow shows wonderful technique.

By starting so high on the poles,

he gives himself plenty of real estate to work in,

and as his arms start to fatigue,

he ensures he stays well clear of the water.

Give him a big round of applause. Mike Snow.

Have we just seen the man who can climb Mount Midoriyama?

I think everyone's asking that question

around Australia at the moment.

That superhuman effort puts

Mike Snow into second place,

and with only three competitors

left to run,

guarantees him a spot

in the grand final.

Nothing is guaranteed

for David Ravi, though,

now sitting perilously in seventh,

the last qualifying spot.

Next up is Stephanie Magiros,

a 2014 Winter Olympian in snowboarding.

Stephanie qualified from her heat in 16th place

after crashing out on the penultimate obstacle,

becoming one of only six women in the semifinals.

With my heat, I remember the Ring Jumps,

standing on that block, thinking,

"How am I gonna get up there?"

She's only 4'11", not even 5'.

Caught the first ring, built up my swing,

and just launched to that second ring.

Come on, Stephanie. Don't drop off now.

Launched to the third one,

and I think I gave it a little bit too much forward momentum.

Oh, no! No, not on the last ring!

So close!

I've always been told, "Oh, you're too little for that.

"You're not strong enough."

I may only be 4'11", but my height isn't an issue.

There is really nothing that I cannot do.

If you put an obstacle in front of me,

I'm gonna find a way to get through it.

Stephanie's family there with mum and dad Helen and Harry.

As an Olympian, she's got real grit and real determination,

and she's gonna need it on these obstacles tonight.

Go, girl! Come on, come on.

(CHIME SOUNDS) Come on, Steph. You can do it.

Come on! Come on, Steph. Let's go.

And we should remind people

it's exactly the same course for the men and the women.

It's not like there are any changes for the women.

So, she's punching well and truly above her weight.

And speaking of weight, she weighs 50kg, Bec!

She's only 4'11"!

Oh, she is tiny.

"The ultimate munchkin ninja," that's what she calls herself.

Now, this is gonna be hard for her.

She's gonna have to use her legs and her inside thigh grip

as much as her arms because of her height.

One last deep breath and she's off and away.

And she did that well.

Well done. Well done, Stephanie.

There's no doubt she's used to performing on the stage.

The 2014 Winter Olympian in snowboarding.

So, pressure is not an issue on the big stage.

This may be an issue, though.

Oh, here she go... Oh!

Oh, get up there, get up there!

That looked nasty!

It must be tense down there, Freddie.

FREDDIE: Now, you'd imagine the Jump Hang is going to be

the toughest obstacle on the course for her.

She's looking at the gap between the trampoline and the net.

Come on!

It is a very big gap, Freddie - 3.5 metres.

Mind you, she is quite comfortable flying through the air.

That's all she needs to do here.

You've got it.

Yeah, she's going to have to give it a good run-up

and get a lot of flight before she even hits the tramp.

Sucks in the oxygen, gets ready to roll.

Oh, she's ever so close.

She got her hands onto the cargo net,

but just could not hold on.

You can see in the replay that Stephanie hits the tramp hard,

but she doesn't have the weight to generate enough upward momentum.

She straightens into a full-length dive,

but can't hang on, as her legs follow through.

That's a long jump.

It is a long jump, but you was flying through the air,

and you'd got onto it.

We thought you was there. The crowd were willing you on.

I had it - had it in my hands.

I tried to bring it in close, and then head-first, boom.

But you're still smiling - that's the main thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a big round of applause for Stephanie.

Unbelievable effort.

Not to be for Stephanie,

but we've still got two amazing athletes to come.

Crowd favourite 'Tarzan' Ryan Roberts is warming up right now.

He finished seconds behind stuntman Mike Snow in the heats,

and he'll be desperate to do better tonight.

And the youngest ninja in the semifinal,

21-year-old Rob Patterson

out to prove if you're good enough, you're old enough.

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island,

where we're just two competitors away from deciding

the first seven qualifiers of the grand final.

Carpenter and former ballet dancer William Laister

still looking good with the fastest time of the night.

The man with the moustache, Alex Matthews,

proved once again he's not to be underestimated.

And Ninja Academy owner David Ravi holding the last qualifying spot

nervously waiting on the sidelines

to see if his grand final dream will come true.

REBECCA: Next to take the course is robotics student Rob Patterson,

our youngest ninja tonight.

The 21-year-old didn't have the smoothest heat,

but was able to complete the course

and make it through in eighth place.

I study mechatronics engineering,

which is the application of robots within real life.

Here he goes. On the pole.

In the heats, the Log Grip almost took me out.

Ye... Oh!

I reckon I know what I did wrong, so I think I can fix it,

but I know how to rescue it as well if it goes wrong again.

This is quite brilliant!

I think people would underestimate

a robotics student in Ninja Warrior.

The stereotype is, you know, sitting behind a computer all day,

whereas I work my arse off, I've trained hard,

and nothing else will compare just being able to smash that buzzer,

look down, see my parents looking up at me, super proud.

Yeah, I think it'll be awesome.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Super proud, they are. That's mum, Janet, and dad, Russell.

Very proud of Rob making it this far,

but can he go even further?

He's been training as a gymnast since he was two.

Studying engineering and robotics.

Hang on, training as a gymnast since he was two.

That's about the time you learn to walk.

Well, whatever he's been doing, so far it's so good.

But as we just saw, he struggled with the Pole Rider in the heats.

Has he learnt his lesson? Here he goes.

There's one drop, there's two drops, and he's home.

Look at the relief on his face.

Oh, he is pumped tonight, Ben.

It's not gonna get any easier, Rob.

And he goes across the Spinning Log.

He's only 21 years of age.

He went into the heat with reckless abandon.

He can't do that tonight, not when the stakes are so high.

Oh, but that was flawless, Freddie!

FREDDIE: Be using all his gymnastic skills

as he scrambles under the cargo net,

trying desperately to stay out of the water.

Them shoulders getting perilously close.

Needs to grab himself up a little bit, but his feet on now.

Yeah, Freddie, his time is up there with the fastest so far,

but if he's going to have any chance at all of the grand final,

he's going to have to get past this, the Tyre Swing.

Go, Robbie, go! You can do it, mate!

You can do it!

He's up, onto the first of those tyres.

Transfers quickly to the second.

Oh, Ben, have a look at that wingspan.

It is huge!

He's got the momentum. Can he get the dismount right?

Oh... oh!

He does.

(LAUGHS) He knew that was close.

Once again, this young man comes up with all of the answers.

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall!

The big question, though - can he go all the way?

That's David Ravi. He's in the crowd.

He'll be asking that same question round about now.

Yes, he's there!

Well done, Rob. Well done.

Yes! Yes!

This is it. Time for the Ring Jump.

If he gets through this obstacle,

Rob Patterson is in the grand final.

How's he gonna go here, pulling up his entire body weight?

He's 67kg, he's got great power-to-weight ratio,

and most importantly, he is fast.

You can do it, you can do it. Go!

Have a look at mum on the sideline. She can't contain herself.

Go on! You can do it!

Over that first peg. Over the next peg.

It looks good. He's doing this well, Ben.

The thing is, the longer you are up there,

the more those arms are burning.

Is he going to have enough steam in the engine

to get down the other side after making the transfer?

He's hanging there a long time. He needs to get over this peg.

Oh, he's jumped two at once! Spectacular!

He's just one swing away from a grand final spot.

He's done it.

Rob Patterson has forced his way past David Ravi

and into the grand final.

Yeah, I don't think he's finished yet, Bec.

At the moment he has run faster than everybody else

except William Laister.

I like his technique.

He's gone very high on the poles, just like Mike Snow,

using every inch of that wingspan, and it is big and large.

Now, he'll need it now, 'cause this next gap is nearly six foot wide.

He's gonna do it. Yes.

Oh, now he's sliding a little bit. Stay up there, Rob.

When you're down low, you're in danger territory.

He wants to get off, and he's gonna get off quick.

Oh!

He was nearly 20 seconds behind on the Pole Grasper,

but out of nowhere,

Rob's closing in on William Laister's time of 4:02.

Neck and neck.

Hands on the walls, feet on the walls.

He's flying. Can he beat 4:00?

Six metres, seven metres.

He pulls himself up onto the platform,

and about to hit the buzzer!

Rob Patterson hits the fastest time of the night.

Incredible!

The 21-year-old robotics student from Queensland

has smashed this semifinal wide open.

The combination of Rob's height on the poles and long reach

helped him get through the Pole Grasper

faster than anyone else tonight.

He had energy left over to go straight up the Chimney Climb

and to the top of the leaderboard.

And he is now gonna have the opportunity

of taking on Mount Midoriyama.

It was fabulous! Oh!

How good was he? Oh, he was just great.

That was fantastic!

Well, I'm pleased to tell you

that was the fastest time of the night so far.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

So, looks like you're gonna be going through

to the Ninja Warrior final.

Yeah, man, I'm just... I'm excited. Thank you.

Oh, pleasure. Go and enjoy it with your mum and dad and your family.

Unbelievable effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rob Patterson.

Amazing scenes here in the first semifinal.

Rob and his family can hardly believe what he's done.

But we're not done yet.

The last athlete of the night is 'Tarzan' Ryan Roberts,

and he has a real chance to go all the way.

In the first heat, Team Tarzan roared Ryan

all the way up the Warped Wall

for a top five finish.

RYAN: In the first heat,

I felt like I took on the traits of the real-life Tarzan.

Climbing from obstacle to obstacle isn't worrying him at all.

I really feel that's who I am.

WOMAN: Go! Go!

I finished the heat pretty fast.

I just got in the zone, and when I got to the buzzer,

it was like an out-of-body experience.

Fastest qualifier yet.

It lasted a couple of days,

this feeling that I got from reaching the top

and making my supporters and my friends proud.

Look at that support crowd.

In the semifinals, Team Tarzan are gonna be massive.

You'll be able to hear them, trust me.

I'm closer to my goal, and I'm extremely hungry and motivated,

and I think that will get me into the top.

Tarzan might have a fun costume on,

but to make it into the grand final tonight,

he needs to get up the Warped Wall and past the Ring Jump.

Yes, this first semifinal has been a bruising night for our ninjas.

Big crowd support for Ryan Roberts.

There's a sense of expectation

as he gets ready to push off on the Log Grip.

Down. Safe. Not a problem.

Moves quickly to the Spinning Log.

WOMAN: You've got it! Easy!

Oh, he's doing this quickly.

He actually got through in 1:21 in the heats.

He's looking for a fast time tonight as well.

Yeah, moving very fast here, hand over hand,

making sure that his legs don't get tangled in that net.

FREDDIE: Needs to watch his loincloth on the water underneath.

It's getting so close.

He's flirting with that water, Freddie,

and I'm not one to hand out fashion advice,

but if he continues through to the grand final,

I'd be considering a change of outfit.

WOMAN: That's it. Keep going, babe.

That's it. You can do this.

That's mum, Sue, and partner, Melissa.

Hearts are in their mouths at this point.

Hold on. Nearly there. Hang on.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FREDDIE: Big Tarzan contingent getting right behind their man.

Take your time!

An opportunity to go into the grand final on the line here.

Just like Tarzan through the jungle. Come on, Ryan!

Have a look at the strength,

and the time is something to be very proud of!

No! How did that happen?

Oh, Ryan Roberts with a foot in the water,

and Team Tarzan, well, they are shattered.

No! Well done!

Yeah, it was a flawless run,

but when it came to the dismount,

he made the same mistake as so many others.

He rushed it.

He only allows himself one swing for momentum on the final tyre,

and when he jumps, the tyre's in completely the wrong position.

He lands in the pool and roars with frustration.

After that absolute thrill ride of a semifinal,

we now have our first seven qualifiers for the grand final.

Robotics student Rob Patterson

turned things on their head

with the fastest run of the night,

forcing William Laister

into second position.

They'll be joined in the grand final

by stuntman Mike Snow,

just above WA's Alex Matthews.

Circus performer Neal Holmes

rounds out the seven,

as ninja gym owner David Ravi

just misses out in eighth place.

Tonight's semifinal has delivered an action packed night

here on the ninja course.

So many heart-stopping moments,

but one in particular stands out.

The Performance of the Night goes to 21-year-old Rob Patterson.

Congratulations, Rob.

Yeah, it's been a rollercoaster, that's for sure, Bec.

I mean, the heats were amazing,

but the semifinals have just taken it to a whole new level

and there's more to come.

Next week on Australian Ninja Warrior,

the course changes again.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Are these the toughest obstacles yet?

All of that core strength!

Taking on the challenge, ex-commando Scott Evennett.

Challenge accepted.

Can Georgia Bonora or Andrea Hah make history

and become the first woman up the Warped Wall?

And rock climbing brothers Lee and Ben Cossey

set the qualifying course alight.

What will they bring to the semis?

These guys are something special.

Who will win through to the grand final

and a possible shot at Mount Midoriyama?

Freddie, how was it for you, mate?

Ben, the ninjas were dropping like flies tonight.

I nearly run out of towels at one point.

So many surprises, so many twists and turns.

I've gotta say, I'm loving it.

So are we, Freddie.

We'll see you next time, Australia. Goodnight!