‘American Ninja Warrior’ Atlanta City Finals: Drew Drechsel & 8 More Super-Athletes (VIDEO)
City finals continued in Atlanta on Monday night’s episode of American Ninja Warrior Season 11.
Those who advanced from the qualifiers had to face the same first half of the course (the Shrinking Steps, Off the Hook, Block Run, Bouncing Spider, Ferris Wheel, and Warped Wall) before taking on four more obstacles: the Salmon Ladder, Up for Grabs, Fallout, and Spider Trap.
The Power Tower and its prize are also different for the city finals. Like in qualifiers, the two ninjas with the fastest times compete, but the winners in each city now receive a Safety Pass, which allows them to re-do their Stage 1 or Stage 2 run if they fall.
Check out the highlights and the ninjas to watch who are heading to Las Vegas.
The Bergstrom Siblings Made History
(Quantrell Colbert/NBC)
Caleb and Caitlyn became the first brother and sister to make it to the National Finals. Caitlyn made it past the Bouncing Spider after falling on it in qualifying, and while she fell on the Ferris Wheel, she went far enough fast enough to be one of the top two women of the night. Caleb then fell on Up for Grabs, but he made it far enough fast enough to advance.
Kenny Niemitalo’s Runs Save Lives
(Quantrell Colbert/NBC)
The ninja’s daughter was saved a few years ago when a viewer donated a kidney, and since then, he pays it forward by helping find donors for other children. In 2018’s National Finals, he wore a T-shirt with Liza Foster’s picture on it, and she received a transplant. This season, he’s doing the same for eight-year-old Jordan. The longer he’s on the course, the more people that see his shirt. And he made it all the way to the final obstacle before he fell.
Kevin Carbone Makes — and Conquers — Obstacles
This run by @Themakerninja is nothing short of legendary. pic.twitter.com/HaLLPGdilH
— Ninja Warrior (@ninjawarrior) July 23, 2019
“The Maker” has created obstacles like Wingnuts and was the second fastest finisher of the night, hitting a buzzer on a city finals course for the first time. But the most impressive part of his run was the 360 he did going up the Warped Wall, the first time that’s been done.
Travis Rosen’s Comeback Is Taking Him Back to Las Vegas
(Quantrell Colbert/NBC)
After his ankle injury in Las Vegas in 2018, Rosen returned to the course in qualifiers and even stumbled on Block Run, but he hit the buzzer — with his foot. He didn’t hit a buzzer in city finals — and stumbled in the same spot on the balance obstacle — but he made it far enough fast enough (Up for Grabs) to qualify for the National Finals.
Ryan Stratis’ Battle Cry Sounded From the Top
If you look up “beast mode,” you’ll most likely find this run by @Straticus. pic.twitter.com/WovkntynqF
— Ninja Warrior (@ninjawarrior) July 23, 2019
He’s far from the first ninja to bleed on the course (and wasn’t even the first one injured that night). But he might have been the first to use the blood from a cut on his hand (from a stumble on Block Run) as war paint on his face. For the second year in a row, he finished a city finals course.
Jody Freeman Is an Underdog to Root For
The night’s youngest and lightest competitor, at 19 years old and 115 pounds, found his confidence through rock climbing. The underdog had been underestimated his entire life, but he didn’t fall until the last obstacle, by which point he’d already secured a spot in the top 12 to advance to the National Finals.
Jessica Clayton Advanced to the National Finals for the First Time
She just missed out on being the first mom to make it up the Warped Wall, but as the last female runner of the night, she only had to make it to the Bouncing Spider fast enough to secure her spot in Las Vegas. She did, though she fell on that obstacle, and didn’t realize she’d qualified for Las Vegas at first.
There’s No One Like the Real Life Ninja on the Course
Drew Drechsel had won the Speed Pass during qualifiers, meaning he’d already secured his spot in the National Finals. But he went for the trifecta — the Mega Wall, the Speed Pass, and the Safety Pass — with his run in the city finals, and he got it. He was quick and efficient (and even sang along to his music) on the course, finishing it over a minute faster than anyone else on the night. He then beat Carbone on the Power Tower.
American Ninja Warrior, Mondays, 8/7c, NBC
