Original subtitles

BEN: Last night...

Ohh! Oh, no!

..in the final semi...

Oh, no! No!

..12 former grand finalists took on Mount Midoriyama...

Hit it! Go! Ahh! Quick, quick, quick! Yes! Yes!

..as the mountain claimed ninja after ninja...

Oh, no! Zed Colback!

..and only the strong survived.

Mike Snow won the battle on the Power Tower.

Mike Snow gets the buzzer!

He's in good company with Jake Baker and Zak Stolz.

They've all got a second chance advantage in the grand final,

and they might need it,

because tonight, this is it.

The grand final...

Grand final stage one, two, three. Let's go. Tower time.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

The grand final is way harder than we've ever seen.

MAN: The game has stepped up this year.

..and tough just got tougher...

I'm expecting a course that is angry,

that is here to challenge us.

..with the most brutal course in ninja history.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Have a look at this!

MAN: Look at the difficulty.

This stuff has obviously been stood up to the next level.

For the first time ever,

the ninjas will need to go underwater.

MAN: No-one wants to go for a swim in ninja,

but tonight you really want to get there and get wet.

And they'll have to do it quickly,

because they're up against the clock.

MAN: Tonight's gonna be a deep burn.

It's gonna be a scary night for ninjas.

If they can't complete the course in time, they're out.

BOTH: Oh, no!

It's our favourite ninjas versus our favourite ninjas.

We're watching something special here.

I can't keep up!

You know what they say - speed kills.

Who can beat the clock?

Their path to the mountain and $200,000 in prize money

begins here!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Welcome to the season five grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior...

..coming to you from the magnificent Sydney Olympic Park.

Good evening, Australia. I'm Ben Fordham.

I'm Shane Crawford. And I'm Rebecca Maddern.

We began this season with nearly 200 ninjas

from all over the country.

Through four gruelling heats and three cutthroat semifinals,

we've whittled that number down to the best of the very best.

That's right, Bec.

Over the next two nights,

ninjas will put their heats and their semis behind them

and focus purely on making it through two terrifying grand finals.

Just 28 ninjas remain,

fighting it out for a guaranteed $100,000

for the ninja that goes the furthest fastest.

After last year's unprecedented three ninjas

scaling Mount Midoriyama,

the question on everybody's lips in 2021 is,

"Could lightning strike twice?"

If a ninja does make it to the summit of Mount Midoriyama,

they'll walk away with a massive $200,000

and be crowned our winner for 2021.

But this season, winning the champion's crown is no easy feat.

Mount Midoriyama is back for revenge,

and the climb to the summit is more hardcore than ever.

It's a seven-metre Chimney Climb

followed by a seven-metre Salmon Ladder,

and then a seven-metre rope climb.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS)

An angry mountain is a cruel mountain,

and Mount Midoriyama has saved its best obstacle to last.

Hasn't it what, Crawf?

In tonight's grand final, the ninjas are on a collision course

with the most terrifying challenge they've ever faced.

This is Mount Midoriyama's ultimate act of revenge.

Yep, Ben, they have never seen anything like this before.

To survive tonight, ninjas will need to get in the water

and face the most diabolical obstacle ever,

Underwater Escape.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

For four years, they've been telling us to stay dry,

and now all of a sudden, it's like, "Hey, get wet now."

MAN: We gotta lift these doors, which are 30, 40 kilos.

I'm not even sure if I can do that.

OLIVIA: Time is of the essence tonight.

I'm just gonna take it one obstacle at a time,

and hopefully we get all the way to the end

and do some swimming.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Righto, let's have a look at stage one's full nine obstacles

the ninjas will have to conquer

in a time limit of 5:35.

Good luck, ninjas. You're gonna need it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Tonight's perilous path starts with the Snake Run.

The seven angled steps require balance and precision.

Ninjas can use any number of steps.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Obstacle two is the Launchpad to Trapeze.

Speed up the ramp will help with the three-metre jump

to the hanging trapeze bar,

which ninjas must grip on to and ride to safety.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)

The Broken Bridge is next.

Five suspended and unstable blades

that will cut ninjas down to size

if they're anything less than precise with their footwork,

which should be fast and light.

Obstacle four, the Corkscrew,

provided an evil twist in the semis.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

For the grand final, it's triple the trouble.

It's here that the upper body punishment really starts to kick in.

Obstacle five is the Ferris Wheel,

but it's far from fun.

Ninjas must make their way across two wheels,

which turn and then lock into place.

The biceps will be begging for a break,

as the time pressure starts to mount.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)

Obstacle six is the 4.35-metre Warped Wall.

Ninjas should not underestimate

how much harder the extra 10cm has made it this season.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

After six gruelling obstacles,

ninjas now enter the Danger Zone.

Fatigue will force some to rest. but time is against them.

The Salmon Ladder is a well-known ninja killer.

There's very little room for error.

It took out Olivia Vivian in last season's grand final.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) (BUZZER SOUNDS)

The upper body punishment continues down the Stair Hopper.

There are four long, agonising steps to endure.

The second-last obstacle is the Barrel Roll,

an almost three-metre lache to the first barrel,

followed by a dizzying dismount

that could do some damage to ninjas' grand final dreams.

With the lungs already screaming for oxygen,

ninjas begin the last punishing obstacle - Underwater Escape.

There are three doors that slide in different directions.

Each one weighs more than 30kg

and must be opened before progressing.

Complete the course in under 5:35,

ninjas will be one step closer to Mount Midoriyama.

If they don't, their season is over.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS)

What about the nerves?

Tonight, our final 28 ninjas will go for broke

in their quest for ultimate glory,

and don't forget, three of those ninjas -

Jake Baker, Mike Snow, and Zak Stolz -

hold that precious second-chance advantage.

So, if any of them fail to hit the buzzer -

they slip, they fall, whatever -

they've got the option of going all over again.

And as you can probably hear,

the atmosphere here at Olympic Park is absolutely frenzied!

What a night of grand final action the fans are in for.

So, let's give them what they want.

It's time to bring out our first ninja

of the season five grand final!

Let's do it! Come on!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Kicking off tonight is one of the three ninjas

holding that precious second chance advantage.

It's our 'Rat Dad' and Dungeon Master, Jake Baker!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Since the semifinals, I have been back at it.

A bit of training.

Of course, the Dungeons And Dragons campaign has continued.

I gave the rats a bit of a cuddle, as promised. They loved it.

Hey, guys. Not really.

So, I've made the grand final.

I know you're not very excited about it, but I'm excited.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's putting in a terrific performance here in the semifinal.

Having the fastest run of that semis night...

The buzzer's waiting for him, and...bang!

Yeah!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

..winning that Power Tower, I was elated!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Having that card up your sleeve of a retry

really makes me feel like I can push on,

'cause I really don't want a repeat of grand final season four.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS) (BUZZER SOUNDS)

It's me against the course now.

Just hoping I can put in a really clean run

and a bit of a clinic for the other ninjas to follow.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

This is the Dungeon Master, Jake Baker.

He's been super impressive.

I reckon we got a man, right there,

who's good enough to go all the way.

The question is, Crawf, will he need his second-chance run?

He'll be hoping not.

If he can nail this one in 5:35, he won't need it.

He can afford to hit the course hard and fast, Ben,

knowing he's got a plan 'B'.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

The first grand final of 2021 is underway.

Jake Baker wasting no time over the Snake Run.

Straight up the Launchpad to Trapeze. Crawf, keep up!

Crawf is in a full-blown sprint on the sideline.

Oh, wow!

Across the Broken Bridge. This is lightning fast!

Oh, he is like a rat up a drainpipe.

Crawf is struggling. Jake Baker is not.

He has set a cracking pace here.

He's now onto obstacle four, the Triple Corkscrew.

Triple the terror of the semis.

12 ninjas failed on just one corkscrew,

but Jake Baker survives the first - two more to go.

Jake needs to go up, and, yes, he does.

Done it nicely. Two down.

Like the rest of this course,

these obstacles are much harder than the semis.

Jake is fast. One to go! Gets it!

I don't think he wants a second chance.

I think he wants to get it done now.

Jake Baker about to get off obstacle four. Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Unbelievable. Now the Ferris Wheel.

This obstacle took out Sam Goodall and Rob Patterson last year.

Now, we know it takes around 40 seconds to get it done.

If Jake does that,

he'll have around four minutes up his sleeve to finish this course,

but keep in mind it gets so much harder.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The first wheel is done. Now, just watch here.

Jake is choosing to go over the top of the wheel.

He could go underneath if he wanted to.

Either way, he's looking good.

He's attacked this course with the attitude of a bloke

who knows he can have another go if he needs to,

and he's got four minutes left on the clock.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And Jake heads to the Warped Wall now.

It's 10cm higher than last season.

Here we go - up the wall!

Ohh! Just missed.

He got his fingertips to it.

That 10cm, hasn't it made a difference this season?

Run, run, run as fast as you can!

Oh, yes! That's how you do it, Jake Baker.

Three obstacles to go! 3:43 on the clock.

And when the ninjas think they're on the home straight,

Mount Midoriyama messes with them even more.

Now the mind games kick in.

Have I got enough time to rest?

If I don't rest, have I got enough gas in the tank to hit the buzzer?

That's what they're thinking.

With 3:26 on the clock now,

Jake Baker is on obstacle seven, the Salmon Ladder.

Now, I don't want to jinx him,

but this obstacle has ended more than ten ninjas' grand final dreams,

including Olivia Vivian last year.

That's the first of three hops.

Oh! Close call there, He corrects it.

He's got one more to go. Yes, he's done it.

If he completes this obstacle,

then he's got two more to go to get to the buzzer.

His time is too tight to call.

This is the Stair Hopper,

but his body must be feeling it now.

Well, he's just done the Salmon Ladder,

and now he has to hop the bar down these stairs.

The drop might vary, so you've gotta be ready for the bigger ones.

Whoa!

Not taking any risks on those stairs. This is incredible!

What a run!

If Jake Baker makes it to the buzzer,

he'll carry his second-chance run into grand final two tomorrow night.

You can see the confidence it's given him.

He's gotta be mindful of the clock.

If he does this Barrel Roll quickly, Ben,

he could have two minutes on the Underwater Escape.

Incredible!

Big deep breath.

He looks like he's feeling it.

Is he talking to you, Crawf? What's he saying?

I think he says he's gassed.

I don't even know if this guy's gonna need the second run.

He said he's a bit gassed, but it's not slowing him down.

Those muscles must be aching by now. Here we go!

He's up on the first barrel.

Starts kicking the legs,

and getting ready to launch himself, with two minutes on the clock...

Oh, no! Oh, he's fallen! No!

No!

He said he was gassed.

I'm not sure that was the problem, though.

We'll need to check the replay, but Jake's night isn't over.

Normally when you hit the water, that's it,

but not for Jake Baker.

He's got a second chance run.

What an amazing position to find yourself in.

The disappointment, but then the realisation

that you can run this again.

Yeah, that's bittersweet,

because this course takes a lot out of you.

At the start, Jake was flying - a run of total confidence.

He attacked the course, but the Barrel Roll took a toll.

He just wasn't swinging high enough,

and didn't have the height or the distance to make it,

but now he'll know for next time.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Jake, very impressive.

The good news is you have a second chance run.

Oh, man, I am glad I have that!

That's...that's good news indeed.

So, I know you're glad you've got it,

but you're exhausted!

So, on your next run, what are you gonna do differently?

Send it. You're gonna launch yourself?

Yes. Just full propulsion, full steam ahead.

So, there we have it - Jake Baker, the Rat Man.

He'll be coming up later in the show,

and he's going to send it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, Crawf, what a start to the first grand final.

Two other ninjas also have a second chance card in their back pocket,

Mike Snow and Zak Stolz.

They'll be running soon.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS)

But now it's time for our next ninja,

who, after three seasons,

has finally made his first grand final.

He was fifth in his heat.

Now explodes onto the next shelf!

Fourth in his semi.

No time for calm now, Ben.

This is... (HOSTS EXCLAIM)

REBECCA: Oh, no! Huge splash!

And he hopes to keep moving on up that leaderboard

and into grand final two.

Please welcome back Travis Edwards.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

They're his lucky yellow shorts.

Let's hope his lucky yellow shorts help him down the course tonight.

Yeah, well, they're bright enough too. Thanks, Crawf.

And there on the sidelines,

Travis's girlfriend, Jessica Russell.

Yeah, she's joined by the Barnardo's team.

That's who Travis works with.

He's a teacher's aide, a mentor at Barnardo's,

and tonight he's a grand finalist on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Now, Travis must complete the course in under 5:35

to progress to grand final two.

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, buzzer's gone.

And off he goes on the Snake Run.

Ohh! Whoa!

What's that technique?

I don't know what our ninjas are pulling out tonight,

but I like it a lot!

Now he takes off on the Launchpad to Trapeze.

Gets the trapeze and he launches straight off onto the pad.

Travis Edwards - those lucky shorts are working tonight!

You got this!

CHILD: You can do this!

On to the Broken Bridge.

He will dance across the top of these. Just watch.

One, two, three, four, five! Yeah!

Oh, his coordination and his timing is so strong, and look at this -

only 35 seconds gone now, five minutes to go.

Here it is - the Triple Corkscrew.

We saw one corkscrew in the semifinals,

but we've tripled it this evening - there are three!

OK, now he's gotta grab this corkscrew.

Now, the first one goes a rotation of 1.5.

And you'll see the really confident ninjas

will be having their bodies nice and close,

just like Travis there.

He doesn't have his legs and arms flapping around -

looking nice and closed in.

Just look at the elevation required to catch this!

Alright! This man, he's on fire.

Come on, Travis.

This is a really good run so far from Travis Edwards.

It is, and, look, if you can manage

to blitz those first four obstacles in a good time...

You're right.

..it does give you a sense now to go,

"OK, righto, I think I've broken the back of this thing."

You're dead right.

"That'll give me a little bit more time

"on the obstacles that burn up more petrol."

Obstacle five - the Ferris Wheel.

This is five of nine,

and he's got 3:55 left on the clock.

Now, this one slows you down a little bit,

because you need to be careful in all these little transitions.

Then the wheel starts falling down. We're stopping at about 4:00.

And this transition is a bit tricky.

Travis's arms are shaking, but he makes it.

Can he go all the way?

Remember, this is do or die.

If Travis doesn't complete the course, it's all over.

He does not have a second chance.

And here is Travis Edwards.

He's steaming at the moment, but now he's locked in place.

He's ready to exit.

His time is looking pretty flash, Bec!

Yeah, he is, but he's about to learn

just how much harder this course becomes.

Now, surprisingly, this is the first time this season

that Travis has attempted the Warped Wall.

How will he go?

AUDIENCE: Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

He starts his run up.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

No problem! Yes!

The crew from Barnardo's are loving it!

Yes, Travis!

He's now got three obstacles left...

..and 2:50 left on the clock.

Can he do it? I think it's gonna be tight, Ben.

You have time, you have time.

Jessica says he has time - he does, but not a lot of it.

He can't afford to burn too much of it.

Ahead of him are three insanely difficult obstacles,

and that clock - look at it - keeps ticking.

This is the Danger Zone.

Can Travis afford the time to rest?

A difficult decision. There's 2:26 left on the clock.

I am a little worried.

He has burned up a lot of time there,

and that Underwater Escape takes a lot of time to get through.

We'll see how it goes.

There's the three Salmon Ladders.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

Have to correct. That's right. Yes, he does.

Now he gets up and on to the Stair Hopper.

Now, this bar, once he transfers onto it,

I find interesting.

There's little rubber grips there, but there's no stoppers at the end.

So, you have to be dead-eye with this bar.

1:49 on the clock. He's gotta move! Keep going, Travis!

Yeah, you're right, Crawf. The time's ticking.

He's gotta move.

Needs to find some speed.

Oh, that's one way to do it.

Ohh! What about that?

He said, "Don't worry about that last one! I'm going all the way!"

That jump was huge!

OK, up onto the Barrel Roll now.

1:12 on the clock. Two obstacles to go.

Come on, Travis.

Just getting rid of that lactic acid.

He needs his grip strength for this.

Crunch the numbers, Travis Edwards.

Do you have enough time? One minute!

Here he goes!

And, Ben, just keep in mind this is the longest course in terms of time

that we've set on Australian Ninja Warrior before.

That's how hard it is.

Travis is taking some time here. He's gotta go.

Ohh! He's only just held on there, Bec.

Keep going, Travis! This is incredible.

Come on, Travis! He's gonna have to push it.

It's do or die.

He has to complete the course before the clock runs out.

This is gonna be very tight.

He's shaking his hands out,

but it's burning up precious seconds.

Oh, he's gonna have trouble here, Bec.

Ohh! (SIGHS)

Gets the swing happening. He exits.

Now, Bec, this is the first time

anyone's gone in the Underwater Escape.

23 seconds.

He's gonna have to move through three gates.

They slide in different directions.

32kg, the first one. He's got it open!

Oh, no! Keep going!

He's gonna struggle to make it through!

Door two is so heavy! 36kg - can he get there?

Ten seconds! He's gasping for air!

Will he go for it? Come on! (ALARM BLARES)

I think the clock's gonna get the better of him!

Three, two, one! Oh, no!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, sadly for Travis Edwards,

he was going through that second door

on the Underwater Escape

when the clock said, "Travis, I'm sorry, your time is up."

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

The replay shows Travis exploded off the start line

and cleared the Snake Run only using four steps.

He was spectacular onto the trapeze,

and when the clock seemed to be against him,

he threw himself down the stairs.

In a telling indication of how tough this grand final course is,

even after all that,

the clock ran down before he could get to the buzzer.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Travis Edwards has timed out, but what a valiant attempt.

Mount Midoriyama standing there, saying,

"You've gotta be at your best if you want a shot at the title."

Well done, Travis.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Coming up, Zak Stolz.

I actually love the stage one grand final,

because it's just me versus the course.

Will he need that second chance?

The fastest ninjas from the heats are back.

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert, Bryson Klein, Charlie Robbins,

and exciting new ninja 'Jungle' Jimmy Burrow.

The 'Tradie Ninja' Sam Goodall lines up

for his fifth straight grand final.

This grand final is unlike anything we've seen before.

This course is much tougher.

Can the power couple propel their way to history?

Will Olivia Vivian, the only female grand finalist,

make it to Mount Midoriyama?

And can Ben Polson become the first ninja warrior in the world

to become back-to-back champ?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

REBECCA: Welcome back

to the 2021 grand final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tonight, speed is king, with every ninja racing the clock

to make it to stage two of our grand final.

BEN: No-one has completed the course yet,

but our next ninja not only has the skills to do it,

he holds an important advantage.

He's got a trio of strong women cheering him on,

plus he holds a crucial second chance advantage

in the grand final.

Let's make some noise, Australia, Zak Stolz.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Watch this guy! Smoked it. It's poetry.

ZAK: All the courses this year have just been next level,

especially that semi.

Like, I don't think I've ever done a semi that hard.

Zak Stolz makes it into the grand final for another year!

These grand finals are just... they're next level technical.

You have to have the confidence to be able to throw your body around

and just trust that it will know what to do.

He's done it!

I've always pushed so hard,

and there's the possibility of stuffing up

on something you know you can do.

So, that second chance is just so valuable.

Come on, Zak Stolz. We want you to get to that buzzer tonight.

Tonight is about finishing within the time limit

and getting through to stage two,

and hopefully even further.

Climbing Mount Midoriyama last year

and losing to Charlie and Ben on Mount Midoriyama,

I feel like it was a wake-up call.

Like, I'd love to have the opportunity to do it again,

but you've gotta get through this stuff first.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Is he gonna be first through to stage two of the grand final?

Well, if this was the Melbourne Cup,

Zak Stolz would be the short price favourite,

no doubt about that.

SHANE: Jack Stolz, he's one of my favourite ninjas.

He's got a second chance advantage.

He had it last year - he didn't need it.

I don't think he'll need it tonight. I think we're going to a buzzer.

Love the confidence, Crawf.

The 'Zak Attack', he always hits the course hard and fast.

Tonight he can do it with the confidence

of knowing a mistake will not end his season.

Zak Stolz is underway.

One, two, three, four. Ohh!

Ohh, skill! What is that?

Skill! That's what that was. Sublime skill!

Zak Stolz is one of the best, and he just proved it.

He could have been in all sorts of trouble on the Snake Run.

Broken Bridge - he goes straight across, wasting no time!

I can't keep up! (LAUGHS) I seriously can't keep up.

How fast is this man?

He has made obstacle four in next to no time.

In the semis, we said he was the one to watch -

after this start, I am not changing my mind!

Yeah, Bec, the Triple Corkscrew.

They drop and spin, and Zak holds on tight.

To give you an idea how powerful Zak is,

watch the number of swings.

He just explodes straight up.

On to the second corkscrew.

A phenomenal athlete.

He'll do it again here. Kicks his legs up high.

Will take the one swing. Oh, look at the height he gets.

That is some incredible strength and skill on display.

And now he gets ready for the Ferris Wheel.

Four obstacles in one minute. That was lightning quick.

Zak Stolz got up Mount Midoriyama last year.

Didn't win, just due to time, but this year he's back for more.

You wonder whether that second chance advantage in the grand final

really comes into play on this difficult course,

because they know they can go hard and go early.

If it stuffs up, they get another go.

That's exactly what Zak Stolz is doing tonight.

He's got that comfortable feeling

that if he mucks up, he can go again.

So, he's going for broke.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

His arms will be starting to burn now.

He's got four more obstacles to face.

Up over the second Ferris Wheel.

Nice transfer. Now he's onto the rope.

Up next, he's got the Warped Wall. His time is amazing.

There's 3:50 left on the clock.

Oh, that is a brilliant time.

He already looked up at the clock. He knows he's got some time to kill.

Yes!

And now it gets really tough!

He's got three obstacles -

the Salmon Ladder to Stair Hopper to go.

Just take your time, mate!

For a bloke who is facing the most difficult obstacle course

ever seen on Ninja Warrior anywhere in the world,

he looks so relaxed!

Yeah, he is just taking this in his stride.

Here goes Zak Stolz.

Up on the Salmon Ladder to Stair Hopper. Must complete three rungs.

One. So two.

(BEN LAUGHS) Doesn't even wait!

This guy is a gun! He is a machine!

Take a breath, Zak. Here we go!

Now he's making his way along the Stair Hopper.

Look how high he is. This is so high up in the sky.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

People don't realise these obstacles are giant!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, my goodness! This is a big leap.

Look at the time, Ben!

He's got 2:23 seconds on the clock.

Barrel Roll - two big barrels.

Go up the rope first.

He'll then grab that handle underneath the first barrel.

He'll move it along

and grab the little barrels on the left-hand side of the second.

Here he goes! Not this time. Will go now!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now he's just gotta pull himself up on top of the barrel.

The arms must be on fire.

Once he's on top, he'll grab another handle,

and when he's ready, he'll drop and swing.

Here he goes - just over the final barrel now!

(HOSTS EXCLAIM)

(LAUGHS) He literally can fly.

This is the first time we've had an underwater obstacle

on Australian Ninja Warrior.

He's gotta make his way underwater and open up three separate gates.

Here's the first one.

This first one weighs 32kg.

Can he get it open? He's open, he's through!

Oh, and it's such a tiny hole!

He'll go up for some air now, sucking it in.

He'll go for the second door.

The weight of the second door is 36kg.

This one, he's gotta pull up!

There he goes!

And he pulls it! There he goes!

Oh, it's so heavy underneath the water!

Is it enough room to get through?

Here we go.

One more door to go, then we're heading towards the buzzer!

We got 1:08 on the clock!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

This one's 32kg, and when you're underwater,

it feels like it's double that!

Look at him sucking it in, breathing it out.

He's got 55 seconds left on the clock!

And here he comes for his final breath!

There he is! He can see the buzzer!

Wipes the water out of his eyes,

and that is our ninja through to the grand final stage two!

Bam!

Zak Stolz, you are amazing! Ohh!

48 seconds left on the clock!

Wow! We've just seen magic!

We have just seen magic!

Pinch me! Whoa!

I think I'm dreaming! (LAUGHS)

How did you do that?

Well, look, it was one step at a time, as I've always done.

Having water at the end was a bit of a plot twist.

Like, that's the whole idea of ninja is to not get wet, like... (LAUGHS)

And look, tonight isn't about furthest fastest.

It's about getting it done.

So, to have that happen, I'm over the moon.

Zak Stolz, you are going through to grand final stage two,

and Mount Midoriyama is in your grasp.

Take a look at it. Bring it on!

Let's bring it on, eh?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Where do you start with a run like that?

This season, he's gone from strength to strength.

He was always fast and explosive,

but he's found another gear this year.

The other ninjas should be doubly concerned about Zak,

because as well as being a weapon,

he now carries his second advantage

through to stage two of the grand final tomorrow night.

Watch out, Mount Midoriyama.

The Zak Attack is back!

(ALL CHEER)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

Coming up, two-time grand finalist Nathan Ryles

is ready to lay it all on the line.

This grand final, it is do or die.

You need to hit the buzzer, and that's what I'm gonna do.

And Jungle Jimmy Burrow won the Power Tower in his head.

Will this new ninja make history here tonight?

And later, can Olivia Vivian repeat last season's performance

and make it to her second stage two grand final?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior grand final

from Sydney's Olympic Park.

It is the first of two grand finals,

and it's a race against time.

Before the break, Zak Stolz finished with 48 seconds left on the clock.

Ohh! Oh, what was that? Oh, skill!

He carries his second chance run

into grand final part two tomorrow night.

Yeah, that is our ninja through!

After six obstacles,

time pressure and fatigue were the two biggest challenges

facing Le Hua,

but a failure to keep the bar straight on the Stair Hopper

was his ultimate downfall.

Oh, no! Ohh!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

'Spider' Sam Roberts, at 166cm tall,

is the smallest male ninja we've had,

but he's got a big heart.

The Warped Wall, 10cm higher than last season,

was enough to keep grand final two just out of Sam's reach.

Come on, dig really deep! Push the arms!

Yes, yes, yes! Ohh! No!

And Sam Roberts leaves the grand final.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

On the Launchpad to Trapeze,

rock-crushing quarry worker David Bowd

put his best foot too far forward

and he sunk like stone.

Ohh! (BUZZER SOUNDS)

This grand final course

has the most difficult and insane obstacles we have ever seen.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Next up, we've got a newbie ninja

who has taken this competition by storm.

He's the first of four ninjas running tonight

who skipped the semis after winning the Power Tower in the heats,

giving them a fast pass to the grand final.

Here is 'Jungle Jim'... BOTH: Jimmy Burrow!

REBECCA: Here we go - the snake man, Jimmy Burrow.

My heats run was an absolute thrill.

That is one of the fastest starts we've seen.

From nowhere, all of a sudden we have a new favourite...

Yes! He's done it! ..on Australian Ninja Warrior!

My sideline supporters -

I had Mum and Dad and our two snakes, Olive and George.

They were loving it.

Jimmy's got it! He's there! Jungle Jimmy hits the buzzer!

Winning the Power Tower,

I got the fast pass straight to the grand finals.

Where the hell did you come from?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

I'm surrounded by A-grade ninjas, absolute legends,

and I want to show them that Jungle Jimmy can be one of them.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Jimmy Burrow is sensational, but we've only seen him once.

He got the fast pass. We've only seen him in the heats.

What a debut for a new ninja,

and now here he is in the grand final.

Focus, mate! Focus!

Jimmy's brother, father, and mother all on the sideline.

Lots of support in the stands too for Jimmy Burrow.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Jungle Jimmy Burrow was hard at work yesterday,

fixing some airconditioners.

He said, "No, I'm not having the day off.

"I'm gonna get hard to work,"

and he's gonna get hard to work tonight on the course.

Come on, Jungle Jimmy!

Nine obstacles to complete in 5:35.

Here he goes - this is the Snake Run.

He's off and running - one, two, three...

Oh, no! Oh, no!

We have lost Jimmy Burrow, our newbie ninja,

our great hope for this competition, on obstacle one.

And Jungle Jimmy is in the swamp.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Are you alright?

I just can't believe what this course

is doing to our ninjas tonight.

Bad luck, mate.

Yeah, let's have a look what went wrong.

Keep your eye on Jimmy's right foot.

His balance was slightly off,

and when he hit that third step, his foot didn't hit the centre of it,

and that didn't help him out on the Snake Run.

Jimmy Burrow loves his snakes,

but this one just took a bite out of him.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)

Jungle Jimmy Burrow! What happened tonight?

I just...I don't know, I just froze.

I just...just froze. I just...I don't know.

I was thinking too much about it or...I don't know, but it happened.

Just wasn't my night.

Yeah, I'll be back, yeah. (CHEERING)

Jungle Jimmy Burrow will be back!

Mate, is has been awesome to have you a part of the series.

Back luck tonight.

Well done, Jimbo! Yeah, you did it!

Good on you, mate! Well done! Good on you, mate!

Yeah, well done, Jimmy. He can hold his head up high.

Experience counts a lot on the Ninja Warrior course.

It's a tough gig for a rookie,

but let's also remember it's no walk in the park for the veterans either.

REBECCA: OK, on the start line now

is Nathan Ryles, from South Australia.

Yeah, Bec, this is his third grand final appearance,

and like so many returning ninjas,

he's got some unfinished business

with Mount Midoriyama.

Come on, Nathan! Come on, mate!

Usually supporting from the side is Tori.

She can't be here tonight,

so she joins us via the big screen.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Oh, hey, Tori! Good evening to you, Tori!

Hi!

Here he is in the grand final, looking great, ready to go.

Any final words for him?

Oh, just good luck. I know he's gonna smash it.

Just good luck, babe. (BLOWS KISS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, this man is so determined to make tonight a winner.

Just look at the look on that face.

He has the belief.

Is this year his year?

(CHIME SOUNDS)

OK, here we go - the Snake Run.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

His first - Nathan dancing his way over the steps. Nicely done.

Good job, babe! Yes!

Obstacle two - up the Launchpad to Trapeze.

Oh, I love that obstacle!

Nathan Ryles now on obstacle three - the Broken Bridge.

Five foot planks to get across, and...oh!

Oh, no! (AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

He's in trouble!

Can you do it? He's in big trouble.

He hasn't hit the water, but has he grabbed the wire?

You can touch the red plank but not the wire.

Ohh, he can't, can he?

Well, he's gonna get off, but I think to no avail.

The umpires are checking it.

It seems like he did grab the wire, which is a disqualification.

And here's the replay.

As soon as Nathan falls... yes, you can see there.

He grips the wire with his elbow.

If it was just the red plank, he would have been OK...

..but he clearly touched the wire.

There you go.

Oh, Ben, and the red light's come on.

That means that is a DQ -

a disqualification from the grand final for Nathan Ryles.

Oh, no. He's out. He's out.

(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMS)

We need to have another look at this.

Watch this step here.

Nathan pushes it, rather than hitting straight down.

Now, that causes a loss of balance,

and the more he tries to recover, it just gets worse.

It was almost a miracle save,

but his hands clearly grabbed that wire.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

I'll tell you what, he's a fighter, that Nathan Ryles.

Every time he fronts up, he gives it a red-hot go.

You gotta feel for him.

He almost got away with it.

Still smiling.

Ben, this course has everything tonight.

The thrills and spills, the highs and lows.

We've never seen it before in Australian Ninja Warrior history.

And with that clock ticking, it just adds to the excitement.

Now, you know who's gonna be interesting to watch?

Our next ninja.

After the break, 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert.

Get ready, Australia. He's about to hit the course.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's famous for his no-fear approach to obstacles...

This guy is a freak!

..but he's also famous for some early exits.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Tonight, will he be the fast or the furious?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS)

BEN: You are back with Australian Ninja Warrior.

We are in a special place, where heroes have been made,

and this is grand final night of Australian Ninja Warrior.

I've got a good feeling about our next ninja.

He's well-rested after winning the Power Tower advantage in the heats.

He's one of the most naturally gifted ninjas,

who either smashes the course or gets smashed by it.

What will it be tonight? (BUZZER SOUNDS)

It is 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on, Ash!

SHANE: This man is a favourite

to a lot of the ninjas out there

in ninja land.

All the young kids look up to this man.

Get ready, kids.

You're gonna see a very fast ninja in action right now.

You are 100% right, Crawf.

His girlfriend, Sarah, and mother, Gabby, on the sideline.

Will they be able to keep up with him?

Speed and power are two of Ashlin's greatest assets,

but also liabilities.

He's competed in all five seasons.

Only made it to three grand finals.

What will we get tonight?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

AUDIENCE: Ashlin! Ashlin! Ashlin!

You got it, Ash!

Obstacle run, the Snake Run. (CHIME SOUNDS)

It's taken out three ninjas and troubled others,

but Flashlin just skips through.

Now up the Launchpad to Trapeze.

Flying!

Obstacle three now, the Broken Bridge,

and there is no stopping Ashlin Herbert - he's like a rocket!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Well, he's just done three obstacles in 15 seconds.

Crawf is much slower, I can tell you.

Literally, I had to sprint to get here.

Oh, poor Crawfie!

This is obstacle four now, the Triple Corkscrew,

and watch the technique.

The best ninjas don't waste time winding up,

and just like that, Ashlin holds on.

They drive so high with their hips and legs,

take one backswing, and go!

Yeah, great use of his legs. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Being spread out slows the spin. Good technique.

He's got muscle, he's got flair.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

He's got speed, so much speed!

And the thing that really stands out about 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert

is not just his speed, Ben.

It's his strength,

and you will see it in action on the Ferris Wheel.

This is his fifth obstacle.

He's 20 seconds faster than his good mate, Zak.

Look at the technique of this guy - so smooth!

Barely pausing.

Just a little kick, a little nudge there, to get the wheel moving.

And you don't see that strain. No.

If you have a look, as he makes his way up this Ferris Wheel,

you don't see that strain in his arms

that you see from other ninjas...

Or his face.

..because they're really burning on the way up and way down.

This has been a very smooth, and therefore, a very fast run.

Is it a different Ashlin Herbert we're seeing tonight?

He's in total control. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Here he goes! He's not gonna wait!

He's gonna fly! He shakes the hands and up he goes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert is over! Continue on!

His time is amazing! 3:58 on the clock.

Absolutely incredible.

He could be posting the fastest time of the night.

That's if he can complete the unforgiving Salmon Ladder.

That's one, that's two.

Needs the third - there it is,

and he's gone for number four, just to be safe,

as he makes his way now over to the Stair Hopper,

using the fixed bars.

His arms, no doubt, will be feeling it now.

Once he's on the Stair Hopper,

he has to carry that bar with him, make his way down.

And based on his facial expression, he's not struggling at all.

He's in control. Incredible!

The upper body strength is phenomenal on this bloke.

We are watching something special here.

He's gotta get through the Barrel Roll

and then the Underwater Escape is waiting.

He's never done it before.

This is incredible!

Right now, he is, by far, the fastest ninja,

but he's not taking a break.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

This guy is on fire, Ashlin Herbert!

All the other ninjas are shuddering at this point!

We've known for years, Bec,

that Ashlin has what it takes to become an Australian Ninja Warrior.

Is this the year he makes it to the top?

Ohh! Here he goes - in the water now.

Oh, he even gives a wave!

He gets ready for the first door. 2:25 on the clock.

Just look at that strength!

Pushes up for a breath! Now he goes through.

He is a man on a mission right now.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now, the first door you push to the side.

This one, you've gotta lift up.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

There he goes - takes a big, deep breath! We got 2:08 on the clock.

He has a breath at the top.

Slides himself through. One more to go!

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert is putting on a show!

This guy is unbelievable, what he's doing.

Our ninjas have struggled on this course!

We've lost ninjas at the first obstacle,

but look at the clock, Ben!

Oh, he can afford... He could have a sandwich!

..to skip up to the buzzer, but he won't.

Got it! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Ashlin Herbert! Oh, my goodness!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert!

Insane! Incredible!

Unbelievable! What more can we say?

I'll tell you what I'll say - it's just not fair!

How can you do that?

Oh, that was heaps fun.

I know you're not one to get deep and meaningful,

but look up at Mount Midoriyama,

and just tell us what it means to you

to make your way to the top of that obstacle.

Yeah, well, it'd be great fun.

I reckon it'll be a good view from up there.

So, I wanna get it.

Ashlin Herbert, folks. Give it up for him.

That is mind-blowing, Bec. Mind-blowing!

Let's just have a look at some of the highlights of his run.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Right from the start, he blitzes it,

and then he doesn't even slow down.

He just keeps on digging and finding a way forward,

and by the time he hits that buzzer, there's 1:45 left on the clock,

and every other ninja here, Bec, starts thinking,

"How the hell am I gonna beat that?"

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Every year, this course gets tougher.

This year in particular,

an angry Mount Midoriyama made the path more perilous than ever before,

but the ninjas have risen to the challenge.

Look at the kids line up for a fist bump with Ashlin Herbert.

They just love him, Bec.

He is so popular, isn't he? With good reason.

I mean, what have we just witnessed here tonight?

Is that the guy that can scale Mount Midoriyama this year?

I'm sure he is... Yep.

..but there are plenty more to come,

and grand final night continues right after this.

Can anyone do it faster than 'Flashlin' Ashlin Herbert?

Coming, will history repeat?

Can Olivia Vivian make stage two of the grand final?

She's done it! (BUZZER SOUNDS)

Will Charlie Robbins and Ben Polson

make back-to-back climbs of Mount Midoriyama

and get their hands on that $200,000 prize?

Standing in their way,

the most insane grand final course we've ever seen, but next...

Jackie Boy's back, from a back injury.

..it's the 'Deadly Ninja' Jack Wilson.

I'm just grateful I'm here, but I wanna go all the way now.

(LAUGHS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

Bec, we began the night with 28 Ninjas

and only those who complete stage I of the course

will get to progress to stage II tomorrow night.

Season two champ and now Army engineer,

Rob Patterson

has brought a new focus and determination to the course.

Despite a few heart stopping moments along the way...

BOTH: Oh...

Rob successfully completed his mission.

He's now into stage II of the Grand Final

for the fourth time.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

BEN: Yes!

New Ninja, Mat Hutchins-Read

has been on everyone's radar

and his name will be added to the long list of Ninjas

whose Grand Final dream has ended on the Salmon Ladder.

Oh no!

Oh, what?

No third and final for Mat.

The rocket man, Dylan James, was true to form,

showing real speed over the course.

He was on target for Grand Final two,

but then he also met the Salmon Ladder.

Oh no, we lost him! Oh...

We lost him on the Salmon Ladder.

This is the first Grand Final

from the home of the Sydney Olympics.

So many sporting stories and memories have been made here

and our next Ninja can surely make one more.

It is the deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson.

One of our most popular Ninjas ever,

made the Grand Final in seasons one and two.

JACK: In season four, I actually broke my back one month out.

I just didn't know if I'd be able to do

these sorts of things again, but I'm ready to go.

I'm just grateful I'm in the Grand Final,

but I want to go all the way now. (LAUGHS)

Tonight I'm going to be channelling our emu...

(HISSES) Ay!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEN: And here he comes.

He's channelling the emu tonight.

(LOW DIDGERIDOO SOUND)

Quick. Oh, they are lightning fast.

Jack Wilson, his story is just unbelievable.

To have a broken back 12 months ago

and here he is

in season five, making his huge return.

(LOW DIDGERIDOO SOUND)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Jack is back.

He's ready to smash this course. This is gonna be fantastic.

535 the time he has to beat the clock.

Here he goes.

The look in his eye tonight

is something that I have never seen before.

So quick over the Snake Run, on the launchpad to trapeze.

And he's off it as soon as he's on it.

He's only been on the course for 15 seconds now.

What's about the balance of this man.

Wow.

How impressive was that.

Now he's onto obstacle four of nine.

This is the Triple Corkscrew and it could be tough on Jack's back.

First of all on the bars,

then he's got to lache across onto the corkscrew.

It then spins and spins and spins and spins before stopping.

He needs to readjust

and then launch himself upwards, onto the second Corkscrew.

Yeah, I'm a bit nervous for Jack on this obstacle,

but so far he is looking strong and fearless.

Look how high he is swinging there.

Whoa!

Oh, what about the elevation

where you've got to go upwards from the second Corkscrew to the third.

Unbelievable.

You have to be 100 per cent committed and focused in this course

because if you fall tonight, you are out.

He's doing great at the moment,

time is perfect.

It is, Crawf, but he's breathing hard, Jack.

He's having a good look at this obstacle.

Here we go.

He's up there on the first wheel.

He's going quickly too,

the more time you have tucked away, the better off later on.

Smooth, hits a bit of a clunk at the end, makes the transfer,

needs to go up again on the second wheel,

wheel stop at about 3 o'clock.

Yeah, Ninjas have gotta consider pace.

If you go too hard to early,

you run the risk of running out of steam.

Don't go hard enough and you run out of time.

Well he's got 340 left on the clock. Come on, Jack.

Yes!

And now he goes straight up the Warped Wall, look at...

BOTH: Oh...

Oh, it didn't look like he had enough speed on his run-up.

He's got two more attempts, remember.

Jack's gonna go straight away, that's a sign of confidence.

Oh no, this is his last attempt.

BEN: I can't believe I'm saying this,

but Jack Wilson could be in trouble here.

He's got one more shot.

Keep in mind, it's 4.35 m. He needs to make this, or he's out.

BEC: And just keep in mind, he's fallen on his back

and that back has been broken.

Jack Wilson... Come on, Jack.

ALL: Oh!

Oh, he's out. That's it. Jack Wilson...

Three attempts.

..is gone.

Ben, I am in shock.

There is no explanation for what we just saw.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Wow, he was fast at the start.

Look at him flying across the Broken Bridge.

He took it easily in his stride, but on the Warped Wall,

it was like he wasn't hitting it with enough speed,

getting a foot in the right spot to take off is critical

and on his third and final attempt, he was agonisingly close.

Not the finish we were hoping for.

But for Jack Wilson, we need to remember,

just competing is amazing, considering what he's been through.

Jack, I was trying to push you up that Warped Wall.

I was underneath going, "Get up there, almost there."

You know, it just happens to the best of us, mate.

Something so simple, you know, to us athletes.

You can come unstuck,

but you just got to take it on the chin, mate

and keep moving forward because we're here to inspire, you know?

That's a great attitude.

So good to have you back.

I have no doubt we will see you again.

Please come back.

Please put your hands together for the deadly Ninja, Jack Wilson.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Oh, it has been so great to see Jack Wilson back

on the Ninja Warrior course

and a Grand Final course for that matter.

Well done, Jack Wilson.

Still to come tonight,

can Olivia rewrite the record book?

I want to be the first female in the world

to ever conquer Mount Midoriyama.

Jake Baker uses his second chance run,

so its buzzer or bust.

Plus bringing their class to the course,

2019's champ, Charlie Robbins

and last year's winner, Ben Poulson.

But on course next, in his fifth straight Grand Final,

the tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall.

Can he break through to Grand Final part two?

Look, I'm sick and tired of going home,

knowing that there's two more stages of a Grand Final to go.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

We are having a blast here tonight.

The obstacles tonight have been formidable.

None more so than the Underwater Escape.

Three Ninjas have completed the course and are into stage II.

Flashlin Ashlin, the fastest.

Bam!

Zak Stolz's a minute slower, but still well inside the 535 allowance.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Yes! And that is our Ninja!

And 2018's furthest fastest, Rob Patterson...

..all successful through this brand-new obstacle.

Let's see how our next Ninja is going to tackle it.

BEC: Well this veteran Ninja

might not be getting all the shuteye he'd like to,

thanks to a new born in the family,

but he'll need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed

for tonight's Grand Final course.

It is the tradie Ninja, it is Sam Goodall.

Come on, Sam.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

This fifth Grand Final was by far the hardest to get into.

Sam Goodall is one of the very best.

Oh, he's quick.

The clock is ticking on him, his staring down the buzzer!

Hit that buzzer, Sam! He's done it!

Quick, quick, quick! Yes!

BOTH: Yes!

SAM: It's about time I got my own back on Mount Midoriyama.

Stage one, two and three, there's three you,

I've got three kids.

I think the kids are probably harder.

(LAUGHS)

So I think I'm ready for this.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

One of 12 Ninjas to compete in all five seasons of Ninja Warrior.

He's appeared in five Grand Finals.

And just on that, Ben,

I don't think I've ever seen

Sam Goodall look as good as this year.

His brother-in-law, Zed Colback there on the sideline.

Wife, Rachel.

The daughters Abbey, Delta and Eva.

Sam Goodall.

Watch out for this man, I reckon he's gonna put on a show.

Go, Daddy! (BUZZER SOUNDS)

Here he goes, the buzzer is off.

Sam Goodall has been the pace setter

for much of this competition this year

and completes the Snake Run perfectly.

Oh, what about the run there!

Oh, no! Oh, he's rushed it!

No, no.

A favourite bombs out, seconds into the Grand Final.

Oh my goodness.

Let's have a look at the replay,

while they medical team just goes and doublechecks that Sam's OK.

He just went too hard too fast, I think.

Whoa, he was flying up that launchpad, wasn't he?

That was like something we've never seen,

in this Grand Final course, so quickly up that launchpad,

grabbed the bar, couldn't stick it and then fell.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Sam, I was hoping to speak to you at the end,

after hitting a buzzer.

Wasn't expecting, expecting you so close.

Yeah, well they said to finish the course,

you have to get wet,

so I thought let's get it done early, hey.

(LAUGHS)

But yeah, I felt something on my fingertips,

but I think yeah,

I only had like, you know, a couple of fingertips on,

I didn't have much grip at all on it,

so that's the way it goes, you know,

we achieved a lot on the amount of sleep I've been having.

Very grateful to be here, my wife made it possible this year,

sensational effort from her and the girls.

That's all right, we go home, we work hard and come back again.

Sam Goodall, the tradie Ninja always a pleasure,

thanks for being a part of it.

Thanks, guys. Well done.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Great chat, Crawf.

Is there a Ninja with a better attitude then this bloke,

Sam Goodall, every season he fronts up, gives it his all

and does it with a smile on his face and a sense of humour.

So he hasn't made tomorrow night's second Grand Final,

but that dismount, I am sure will go down in Ninja history.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

OK, one of the favourites is out, but another is ready

to take on at this incredibly challenging course.

A flawless semi-finals campaign

has landed her in Grand Final number four.

It is the one, the only,

Olivia Vivian.

Here she comes.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

OLIVIA: This is my fourth Grand Final.

Come on, Olivia Vivian.

It's Olivia.

She hits the buzzer!

Consistency, baby.

Yeah.

This woman is phenomenal!

Grand Finals.

Oh, I get so nervous just thinking about it,

'cause I know it comes down to time

and I'm not exactly known for my speed.

It's gonna be a race against the clock.

But I've been trying to work on my speed,

'cause I really want that buzzer tonight.

So when speed and pressure come into play,

that's when mistakes happen.

I want to be the first female in the world

to ever conquer this course,

because my mission is to inspire other women,

to have that self belief.

I'm excited nervous.

I'm excited and nervous and terrified.

(LAUGHS)

I'm terrified.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Stepping up to the starting block, Olivia Vivian,

the only female to make this year's Grand Final.

Last season, she became the first female to make Grand Final stage II.

Will we have a repeat performance tonight?

BEN: Her partner, Ben Poulson, is on the sideline,

the first and only Australian Ninja Warrior.

They've had some challenges this year,

but they are the undisputed power couple of Ninja Warrior.

Come on, you got this.

They certainly are,

the courses have been the hardest we've ever seen.

After the heats and semis, has Olivia got enough gas in the tank

to make the buzzer in less than five minutes 35?

She looks focused.

If there's one thing we know about Olivia,

she'll give it her all.

This is the Snake Run.

Olivia Vivian, she's crushed it.

Seven steps, oh, could this be! Oh, she corrects it.

That was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

Now the launchpad...

Oh, again!

Oh my goodness.

What is she doing to me!

Oh, you could be too fast, Olivia.

I'm worried, Ben, I know she's gotta be fast,

but a mistake here and it's all over.

Olivia, could you please slow down for just a second.

Whoa, she's just given us the fright of our life.

Well thankfully for our heart rate,

she's going to have to slow down a bit.

All right, catch your breath.

Yes. Everybody, catch your breath.

This is obstacle four, the Triple Corkscrew.

Hold on, Olivia.

Oh, the fast start was scary,

but maybe a necessary risk.

Olivia now winding up beautifully for this high lache.

Gets it and holds on.

She's racing the clock, so she'll have limited recovery time.

It's a delicate dance, Ben.

Too fast and you could make a mistake,

but she's good on the last Corkscrew.

Too slow and you time out.

She needs to be right in the perfect zone where her speed is just right.

Now Olivia glancing at the clock, checking her time.

It's OK for now.

Last season she did this obstacle,

the Ferris Wheel, in 37 seconds.

If she does it in that time here,

she'll have about four minutes for four obstacles.

Oh and what about the pressure here.

Keep breathing, keep breathing.

Ben Poulson doing his best to calm and reassure Olivia.

Remember this obstacle took out Sam Goodall

and Rob Patterson last season.

One slip and it's over.

She's OK so far.

Olivia having to swing to make the transfer.

She doesn't have the wingspan of Ben Poulson, but does it nicely.

She is on the second wheel, her time is steady.

Gotta keep moving though, the crowd right behind her.

Down she goes.

The second wheel now locked in, but she's got to get off.

Oh, yes!

Olivia Vivian.

OK, here she goes.

Now surely in the Grand Final in 2021,

she's not gonna do a trick up the Warped Wall.

We don't have time for that, Ben.

No, Olivia, just get up there.

Here she goes, up the Warped Wall. Here comes Olivia Vivian.

Makes no mistake, first attempt,

nails it and Olivia Vivian takes a giant step

towards making Grand Final II tomorrow.

Salmon Ladder to Stair Hopper now.

You've got this, just like any other Salmon Ladder, you've got it.

Do we need to mention that Olivia came off on this obstacle

in Grand Final II last year?

Probably not, Ben.

OK, point taken.

We need to mention the time though.

Two minutes 30 seconds to complete three obstacles.

She needs to go up three rungs here.

That's one and it looked clean.

And yes, that's two.

She's going straight away.

This is impressive from Olivia Vivian.

Looking at the clock, it is going to be tight, there'll be seconds in it.

Come on, nice. Good pullback.

Olivia Vivian has become a superstar right across the country

and this is why.

She never says no.

She never quits. Come on, Olivia.

She always believes in herself.

Come on, Australia, we need to get Olivia Vivian home.

Under two minutes now. Needs to get a wriggle on.

Come on, Olivia.

Get over the Stair Hopper, the Barrel Roll

and Underwater Escape to go.

Keep going, Olivia!

150 left on the clock, she's got two obstacles.

Let's go, send it.

All right, I know that she's going to be OK on the Barrel Roll

if she's got enough gas left in the tank,

but how is she going to go on the Underwater Escape,

we have never seen Olivia Vivian in the pool before.

Bec, she's leaving it tight.

There is 1:19 on the clock.

Olivia Vivian, getting ready to swing.

She can't afford too many more swings,

look at that landing.

She makes the big landing,

it's probably the most crucial of her career

and here comes Olivia Vivian with 105 remaining.

Well it's going to be tight, it's going to be really tight.

Here she comes! Here's the dismount now.

We've got one minutes on the clock!

Olivia Vivian bombs into the pool.

Here she goes, opening door one, she is through.

She takes a big, deep breath, comes up and sucks in some more oxygen.

She's got 46 seconds left.

Here comes Olivia.

Imagine trying to get as much oxygen as you can

and lift, lift, lift.

Olivia, she's through.

Comes up for another grasp of air.

It's the final door now.

It's weighted at 32 kg, can she do it?

She sneaks in a breath,

as Rebecca Maddern is struggling to get one in her system.

Here comes Olivia. Here it is, here it is!

Hurry up, don't waste any time.

Hit that buzzer!

The only woman to make it into stage II of the Grand Final,

Olivia Vivian.

We know you are a superstar.

You prove it time and time again.

You are simply awesome!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Look at the celebration for Olivia Vivian.

There is a very special feeling here at Sydney Olympic Park

and Olivia Vivian, you are responsible for that,

because you're the only woman in Grand Final Stage I

and you've hit the buzzer,

which means you're the only woman in Grand Final Stage II!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

You know, if I can just hit every course and you know,

show women that we are capable of this

and competing against the guys and look at me, I'm here.

It is possible, so just believe in yourself and work hard.

As the father of daughters, thank you,

we love what you do, we love what you represent.

Put your hands together for Olivia Vivian

as she books her place in Grand Final Stage II.

Get that into you.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Well where do you start with a run like that?

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

She scared us with a fast and furious start

and it seemed like nothing but sheer willpower

got her hands onto the trapeze.

But the risk paid off and at the back end of the course,

she'd allowed herself enough time to make it to the buzzer

and Olivia Vivian has made history again,

qualifying for Grand Final Stage II

for the second season in a row.

She is brilliant.

'Liv rocks,' says the sign.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

And here's Ben Poulson. Whoa, don't grow breaking him.

He's running soon.

Let's have a look at the leaderboard.

So is this shaping up to be tomorrow night stage II form guide.

No one's come close to Ashlin.

Zak is pretty convincing in second,

Rob Patterson in third.

Olivia needs not have worried about her speed,

because she had 20 seconds left on the clock

and then there's Jake Baker in fifth,

but he's still got another run up his sleeve.

Coming up, season three champ, Charlie Robin.

The Grand Final Stage I is probably my weak suit,

especially after last year.

BEC: He just looks absolutely shattered.

I really struggled to hit the buzzer in the time limit.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

It is a little bit worrying,

knowing how much the game has stepped up this year and year,

and yeah, we'll see how we go.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to Australia Ninja Warrior.

It's coming down to the wire for our last few Ninjas.

They've been feeling the fury of Mount Midoriyama

through the most difficult heats and semis we've ever seen.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Josh O'Sullivan hit the Salmon Ladder,

but was feeling the pressure of the clock.

Three Salmon Ladders,

you better get a wriggle on, Josh O'Sullivan.

He showed the new Ninjas how it was done,

but with time ticking,

the pendulum swings on the Barrel Roll

just weren't big enough.

He mistimed his release.

BEC: Josh O'Sullivan falls on the second barrel.

The obstacles in this Grand Final are beyond insane,

but that hasn't bothered all of our Ninjas.

Alex Bigg has competed in every season

and this is his third Grand Final,

but his son Arlo has never seen him hit a buzzer.

Alex has now hit two.

The big Ninja... Yeah!

..he gives it a shout. He hits the buzzer.

And he's into the second stage of the Grand Final

for the second time.

Stuntman, Mike Snow took to the course.

He was cool and calculated throughout.

He managed to hold onto his Second Chance Run

as he hit the buzzer with 23 seconds left on the clock.

Like Zak, Mike can now use his Second Chance Run

in tomorrow night's Grand Final if he needs to.

Speedster, Bryson Klein skipped the semis

as a Fast Pass Holder,

but was up to his usual tricks with a smooth and fast run.

He's got one obstacle to complete before he gets to the pool,

that was scary.

His quest to conquer Mount Midoriyama

and become an Australia Ninja Warrior is on track.

Housemate, Ben Poulson, you've been warned.

Well done, Bryson Klein, an amazing effort.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

This is how the top five look with just a few Ninjas left to run.

Ashlin and Zak, still the two fastest.

I'm sure the other Ninjas have taken note of that.

Alex Bigg played a blinder with 35 seconds left on the clock.

Bryson is fourth, Rob Patterson fifth.

Stage II tomorrow night, it's gonna be incredible.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEC: OK, so are we all ready for one of the red-hot favourites

for season 2021.

Here's another Ninja

who fast tracked his way to a start tonight,

courtesy of a power tower advantage in the heats.

He's conquered Mount Midoriyama before,

can he do it again?

He's your favourite,

Charlie Robbins.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

I can look after your hat, mate. I can look after your hat.

Let's go.

Nearly, I nearly caught it.

Come on, lucky hat.

The fans who are out there, they love this bloke.

His grandad, Taffy is with us tonight.

Come on, mate.

That's girlfriend, Tessa and Charlie's mum and dad.

Go, Charlie. Deep breaths.

BEC: Here he goes. OK, here we go.

Watch how quickly this happens, here comes Charlie Robbins.

One, two, three, four, five, six, flawless.

As you would expect from Charlie Robbins.

Off he goes, lands it and bam. He's so good.

And with that gymnastics background as well,

he's gonna be so good on so many of these obstacles tonight.

TAFFY: Focus!

Take your time, mate.

Taffy is yelling out take your time,

Charlie Robbins never takes his time.

(PUFFING) Oh, these Ninjas have got way too much energy.

You should have put in more Ninja training, Crawf.

Here he goes, Charlie Robbins.

Does the first of three Corkscrews successfully

and you just have two marvel at how efficient these elite Ninjas are.

Their attitude is the quicker you go, the less gassed you are.

Perfect example right here,

just a big swing and he's onto the third.

Ben, the thing is about Charlie Robbins,

his technique is just so good.

He doesn't waste any energy,

does he?

No, he is so efficient, so quick.

Ashlin Herbert, the fastest so far tonight,

he was here just a few seconds faster than Charlie.

We've seen him in season three, season four

and is now in season five. He comes down this Ferris Wheel...

Hold on, Charlie.

..transfers to the next

and then he's gotta climb back up again.

That requires upper-body strength and Charlie's got that in spades.

It's quite incredible that some of the very best Ninjas

can make it look so easy, when it's not.

For a lot of us, it's impossible.

We're going up the Warped Wall and we're going up quick.

Here he goes!

Here he goes!

Coming up to just under four minutes,

but Charlie, oh he looks exhausted.

We try and crunch the numbers, Bec and we worked out before

that if you've completed the Wall

and you've still got about two minutes 30 left on the clock,

maybe you're a good chance of finishing.

He's about to knock over the wall... Nice, Charlie.

..and he does, with three minutes 40 on the clock.

Clock is looking good, but Charlie Robbins is looking tired.

You've got to remember this is the guy

that just goes and goes and goes.

The crowd right behind him though, I am a little worried.

I think they know he needs a lift at this point.

Come on, Charlie! You need to find another gear.

Charlie Robbins gets ready

to take on the Salmon Ladder to Stair Hopper.

This obstacle always makes me nervous, there is no room for error.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Up he goes, that's one of three.

What were you worried about, Bec?

Two of three, Charlie Robbins is incredible,

snaps the last one into place.

Technique, amazing.

TAFFY: Control, Charlie, well done.

Two fixed bars now to get to the Stair Hopper,

then he'll have to take the bar with him.

Charlie, you've got to be precise here,

which is hard when you are fatigued.

The bar has got to remain straight and true.

Charlie makes his way down.

Yeah, the strength and control of Charlie Robbins is amazing.

He's almost cleared obstacle seven.

Two more to go now.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

The question is,

is fatigue Charlie's biggest challenge right now?

He could run out of gas well before he actually runs out of time.

He is struggling a little here.

The golfer from the Mornington Peninsula

is now getting ready to take on the Barrel Roll.

Just do it, mate.

I'll tell you what, I love his grandfather,

I love the passion.

Up he goes, on the rope. Connects with the barrel.

Chewing up a little bit of time.

Come on, Charlie, make the transfer.

(CROWD CHANTS)

I thought he was gonna go then.

I'm starting to wonder

if he's running out of a bit of gas, Charlie.

This time he goes up, he hangs on.

His arms will burn as he gets to the top of the barrel.

Trying to get his knee, now his foot onto that second barrel.

152 on the clock.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

This is tense,

Charlie is resting the arms, but he can't take too long.

Come on, Charlie. He's ready to go.

Go! Don't muck it up.

Whoa, what is this?

Here we go. So good.

He knew.

He falls backwards and rolls backwards.

Well done, well done Charlie.

Get that air in your lungs, mate.

Here he goes in the pool! Straight in the pool.

One minute 27 left on the clock, he's got three doors to lift.

The first one here is 32 kg.

He goes underneath the water,

puts his feet against the side of the glass

and pulls that door back, then goes for another breath.

One minute 13.

Charlie, you better get a wriggle on, son.

Come on, Charlie. Now this is where it gets tricky.

The Underwater Escape. Come on!

Chews up so much time.

Charlie Robbins has still got his glasses on unbelievably,

can't take those off, 'cause he can't see very well without them.

58 seconds on the clock.

Now he lifts the next one, it's 36 kg.

He has a fresh breath

and pushes himself under.

48 seconds left. Come on!

Ben, this is the first time

that we've seen Charlie Robbins struggle on this course.

Use your legs, Charlie! Use your legs!

It's going to go down to the wire.

Door three now, 32 kg, slides it open,

goes up for another, final grasp of air,

goes through and he's home.

Charlie Robbins can see the buzzer, his glasses might be fogged up,

he needs the windscreen wipers,

but it doesn't matter, he can see the buzzer!

Come on, Charlie Robbins!

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

Booked his place into the Grand Final.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEN: Oh, yeah!

Charlie Robbins!

TAFFY: Oh, unbelievable.

That is a birdie if I've ever seen one.

How was that, mate?

Yeah, it was pretty tough, I gassed out

a lot quicker than I thought I might,

so I took a bit of extra time.

Just sort of made sure I got it done and got in,

through to stage II.

So that's pretty happy.

Let's give him a big round of applause, Charlie Robbins.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Well, he had to work hard.

He started off fast, but this run was all about timing

and Charlie Robbins found the balance between fatigue and failure.

He was feeling it in the end though,

working hard on the sliding doors,

but Charlie Robbins just found a way through.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEC: After the break, can it be second time lucky

for this Ninja.

Jake Baker will use his advantage and rerun the course.

Do not go anywhere.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Then...

Can the reigning champ,

Australia's first Ninja Warrior, Ben Poulson, go back to back.

There's never been a winner which has won two years in a row

anywhere in the world.

But I'm going to give it a good crack.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to Grand Final night

from Sydney Olympic Park.

Right now on the course, Jake Baker, the rat daddy.

He's about to hit obstacle number eight,

the Barrel Roll

and this is the obstacle Jake fell on earlier tonight.

But after winning the Power Tower in the semis,

he has a second chance to use and this is it right now.

So this time there can be no mistakes.

No second chance this time

and he just said to himself,

he needs to send it.

BEC: And he is here about 20 seconds slower than his first run.

We're all just wondering here though at Sydney Olympic Park,

whether that first run

has burnt some energy that he needs, but at this stage,

it does not look like it.

We want you to get through it.

This second chance run, don't waste it, Jake.

He's gonna be good.

Lift off, he's got it!

Looks good.

135 on the clock.

He learnt the lesson from his first run.

He's set himself up for a bigger swing.

Whoa!

Oh, not yet, not yet. BOTH: Yes!

Here he comes! He's done it!

122 left on the clock.

He's into the pool.

Three underwater doors between Jake and the buzzer.

This one slides, it's 32 kg.

We've got 112 on the clock.

The next one is 36 kg and lifts up.

Jake Baker, he's got one minute and six seconds remaining.

There he goes, moves door two, 36 kg,

squeezes and shimmies his body through.

Oh, he is running out of energy, Bec.

Let's go, keep moving.

Kicks, dives deep, got the third door in his grasp,

knows he can almost see the buzzer and there it is.

Jake Baker, what a phenomenal effort.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

It doesn't matter how you get there,

you've just gotta do it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Well, what about him, how good is that.

Success!

He says it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

It was more stressful the second time around,

how did you manage that?

(CATCHES BREATH)

I'm kinda glad I got that first run, I definitely needed it.

Second time round,

just did the same thing, only you know, sent it.

Congratulations, Jake Baker.

That was so good. So good.

Give him a round of applause.

You made it through.

Jake Baker.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Lets have a look at his replay.

He used the knowledge he gained on his first run

and on the Barrel Roll, his second chance advantage

meant he knew how to make that transition.

There was a moment of hesitation,

but Jake Baker did it

and by the time he got to the Underwater Escape,

there was no stopping him.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Jake Baker handled the pressure of his second run beautifully.

Now our next Ninja has to handle some as well,

but of a different kind.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

When you are the reigning Ninja Champion,

the pressure can be stifling,

but we know just how mentally tough this guy is.

He is the one and only, Ben Poulson.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

BEN: The 2020 Champion!

It was an awesome moment to kind of go "Wow."

This has changed my life.

The first Australian Ninja Warrior is Ben Poulson.

Do I believe I can back it up and do it two years in a row?

The answer is yes, 100 per cent.

The crowds on its feet right now.

Oh! Oh no! Ben Poulson is off.

The semi-finals, when I hit the water,

not knowing whether I'd made it through or not,

it's a sinking feeling, it really is.

I'm just grateful that I managed to scrape through.

And I tell myself this is an opportunity, don't waste it.

Mount Midoriyama wants to challenge the Champ.

Well the Champ wants to challenge Mount Midoriyama again.

I'm excited to see what happens.

(EPIC MUSIC)

This is a big moment for him

and let's take a live shot of Mount Midoriyama,

because this is the obstacle he scaled last year,

faster than anyone else

and Ben Poulson

is dreaming about going all the way

and before he even gets there, he's gotta get through this.

You've got this, babe!

Get ready, Australia,

Ben Poulson is about to attack the course, the Champ is here.

Olivia inspired us earlier.

Can Ben do the same?

Here he goes on the Snake Run.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

It's claimed three Ninjas already tonight,

not Ben Poulson.

And he may deny it,

but there is so much pressure on the shoulders of Ben Poulson,

being the defending champion,

you can't slip up.

You wanna be up there again.

You've got a lot to prove

and sometimes it's even harder to get there a second time.

Onto obstacle number four, the Triple Corkscrew.

Oh, look at that, didn't even use the pole,

just jumped up and grabbed it.

He gets those legs moving, look at how tall this bloke is.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Catches the Corkscrew.

How tall is he?

He's 195 cm.

And we always marvel at the strength of this guy,

because he is just a weapon.

195 cm tall, 85 kg.

He's got the perfect body for Australian Ninja Warrior,

so strong in the shoulders,

so strong in the upper body.

Look at him carve up this course.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

This is Ben Poulson at his very best.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

And look at him now, just turning to the crowd

and firing them up,

as if to say, "Come on, make a bit more noise for me."

Yeah, but he can't afford to do that too much.

His 15 seconds slower than Charlie at obstacle five, the Ferris Wheel,

which is ominous for Ben,

because Charlie finished with 23 seconds left on the clock.

If you can't do the maths, Ben Fordham,

let's just say at this stage it is tight.

It is tight.

Ben Poulson makes his way across the first wheel.

He holds on for the jolt.

It locks into place.

And he'll use that big wingspan he's got to get across.

Yes, makes that transfer look so easy

and now he works his way over the top.

The key is to keep moving,

rest once you're off the obstacle if you have time,

but make sure you get off.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Well Ben Poulson is making sure.

Oh, one hand on the rope. So calm.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

So good.

339 on the clock.

CROWD CHANTS: Beat the wall.

The chant goes up, "Beat the wall."

Beat the wall. Beat the wall.

He starts the run up. Here we go.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

And that is the defending champ, Ben Poulson,

up the Warped Wall, takes a look at the clock.

It's getting close to 3 minutes now. Three obstacles to go.

OLIVIA: Lots of time.

Looks a little tired,

not rushing though.

When you feel like you can complete it.

Ben, interesting tactics here.

The clock is ticking,

but he must need this break,

he really feels gassed at this point,

taking a lot longer than I expected.

Come on, Ben Poulson, the clock is ticking.

Yeah, this is the danger zone, Bec.

You've gotta judge the fatigue with the time you've got left.

Ben Poulson onto the salmon ladder, makes the first.

Four ninjas failed on this tonight.

Look at the concentration,

you've got to get the timing just right on the Salmon Ladder.

Now he has to make his way to the Stair Hopper

and control here, oh so important.

Time pressure aside, he cannot rush,

has to keep that bar even all the way down.

So far, so good.

One more step to go down now, Ben Poulson.

Now he starts to swing.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

The Ninja Warrior Champion goes back a bit.

Is he going for an early exit.

Make sure of it, Ben. He does.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

With two obstacles to go,

Ben Poulson is looking like he is throwing caution to the wind.

The reigning champ, breathing hard.

OLIVIA: All right, let's go, babe.

Olivia Vivian on the side-lines

is looking a tad nervous at this stage.

Anything can go wrong at this point, which chews up time

and I'm really talking about the Underwater Escape.

It can chew up a lot more time than you expect.

Ben Poulson is on the Barrel Roll,

the second last obstacle.

Big swing and a catch.

Last barrel now.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

120 on the clock. Got to get moving.

Here we go.

Ready...

Oh, doesn't exit.

It's 110 on the clock.

This is going to come right down to the wire right now.

He steps over.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

He's gotta go. Ben Poulson, he's down for the first one.

The first one weighs 32 kg, he is struggling with it.

Struggling with the door.

Oh, the clock is moving on him.

53 seconds left,

he's into the second pool.

Here he comes up.

Grasping the door,

taking that last suck in of oxygen there,

lifts up the door.

It's only 36 kg,

but it must feel like 136 at this point.

40 seconds to go,

less than.

They're a lot heavier than what he expected

and now he pulls this next one open,

he knows it's a race to the buzzer.

Here comes Ben Poulson from Western Australia.

He was the winner of Ninja Warrior last year.

Can he do it again? (BUZZER SOUNDS)

One thing's for sure,

he's into stage II of the Grand Final

on season five

of the Australian Ninja Warrior,

the competition that launched him into stardom

12 months ago

and now Ben Poulson gets ready to go back to back.

The champ is back!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

(GRAND MUSIC)

How are you doing, buddy?

Oh, look. Doing well, doing well.

It's nice to have Olivia on the side,

helping me out with the time and stuff.

But it's tough.

And just look up at that giant staring down at you, mate.

You've been up there before. Are you a little bit scared of that?

Oh, a little bit scared, far out.

I mean, when I heard it was harder,

I did not expect this.

I've been practising lots of rope,

I have not been practising much Salmon Ladder. So...

Uh-oh. So I don't know what to tell you.

(LAUGHTER)

Alright, well ladies and gentlemen, the Ninja Warrior Champion

from 2020, Ben Poulson.

So good, so good.

Give him a round of applause.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

He is just awesome.

That run was awesome.

I don't know how they do it, Bec,

they seem to handle the time pressure so well.

Ben was his usual dynamic self.

hitting plenty of highs along the course.

I could tell you what though,

the difficulty of the Underwater Escape

has surprised some of our Ninjas,

but in the end, Ben Poulson got the buzzer,

he's into Grand Final part two.

What a way to end the night.

Mount Midoriyama said, "I want revenge"

and our Ninjas went,

"Not tonight," and didn't they do just that?

I think it's some of the best action we've seen, it was just amazing.

Let's take one final look at the leaderboard

and we'll see who is running stage II

at the Grand Final tomorrow night.

Flashlin Ashlin Herbert had the run of the night

by a country mile.

He had 145 left on the clock, that seems impossible.

Zak Stolz, the closest, with 48 seconds left

and Jake Baker, not too far behind.

Is this a hint of what's to come?

Some big names were off the pace.

Ben Poulson and Charlie Robbins will need to step it up a gear

if they want another shot at the title.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Wow, hasn't it been a huge night of action, Bec?

We started with 28 worthy Grand Finalists.

Now only 10 have managed to battle their way through to stage II

and that's tomorrow night.

Stage II of the Grand Final, that's going to be huge.

Ben, it doesn't get any easier though.

Incredibly difficult new obstacles await

and then looming above them all is the monster Mount Midoriyama.

It just doesn't quit.

Tomorrow night's furthest fastest Ninja will win an amazing $100,000,

but if any Ninja can summon Mount Midoriyama,

good luck,

they'll double that prize to $200,000

and of course be crowned Australian Ninja Warrior Champion 2021.

It promises to be a stunning climax

to what has already been a thrilling series.

So join us tomorrow right here,

when one Ninja will rise above all the rest

in the 2021 Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

Goodnight. Good night, Australia.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Tomorrow night...

..it all comes down to this.

Grand Final II...

Stage II is epic.

It is 100 per cent send or nothing else.

The stage is set for the final battle

between Ninja and mountain...

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

We began with 200 of the best in the country...

I don't see myself as just a strong female anymore,

I'm a strong Ninja and I'm here to play.

Boom, let's go.

Now only 10 remain...

Last year, got done by a second,

so hopefully can improve on that a little bit.

Can Ben Poulson be the first person in history

to become a Ninja Warrior Champion

two years in a row...

My goal is to come back and back it up.

But I am capable of accomplishing it twice in a row.

..or will and another superhuman achieve the ultimate goal?

Hold on to your breath, Australia.

BEC: He looked like Superman then.

Standing between them and Mount Midoriyama,

the hardest 11 obstacles ever seen.

Whoa!

There is $100,000 on offer

for the furthest fastest.

But if they can conquer the mountain,

they'll win $200,000

and become Australia's next Ninja Warrior.

Then on Wednesday night...

BEC: 5.8 m, go, go, go, go, go! Oh!

Oh, no! No!

..for the first time,

it's Australian Ninja Warrior Record Breakers...

Jack Wilson is out in front.

We've never seen anything like this before.

I would not know who to put my money on.

Only the best will rise to the top.

..as the best of the best attempt to smash world records,

including the highest Warped Wall known to man...

Oh my goodness!

..the longest lache in history...

He's done it!

..and a Mount Midoriyama-sized Salmon Ladder.

BEC: Where do they get the strength?

He's absolutely thumping it.

Plus it's Ninja versus Ninja...

Ashlin Herbert's chasing.

Oh! I wonder... Who hit it?

..there is cash on offer for every record

and we welcome the return of Ninja royalty...

She is the first woman to go up the Warped Wall.

..Andrea Hah...

To be given the option to do this again, it's so, so special.

It's the biggest night of Ninja Warrior ever.

It is on like Donkey Kong.

It should be freaking awesome.