'American Ninja Warrior' News: Three New Obstacles Increase Difficulty for Competitors
"American Ninja Warrior" competitors should be physically prepared and mentally ready because the action-packed sports competition show just added three new and even tougher obstacle courses.
On July 3, Monday, "American Ninja Warrior" traveled to Kansas City in Missouri and debuted the three new obstacles: Hang Glider, Broken Pipes, and Crank It Up. Olympic decathlete Jeremy Taiwo took on the said obstacle courses for the first time, while some fan-favorite veterans have returned, including Brandon Mears, Dan Polizzi, and Lance Pekus.
One of the new obstacle courses — Crank It Up — was designed by 24-year-old Kevin Brekke, who just graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in Entertainment Engineering and Design. Crank It Up is a series of three crankshaft-type handles that contestants must maneuver to reach the top of the obstacle.
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"Pretty much almost every element of my design was involved in it," Las Vegas Review-Journal quoted Brekke as saying about the finished product. "And it was really tough for people to get through... I was a little bit concerned that it would take out too many people," he added.
Competitors train all year for their shot at qualifying, and some of them were, in fact, eliminated by failing to complete Crank It Up. Nonetheless, they said that it was one of the most fun obstacles that they ever did.
In addition to that, the July 3 episode of "American Ninja Warrior" also showed a 70-year-old contestant, Richard Talavera, as he attempted to complete a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty.
"I guess you would say I'm not the average pharmacy technician that you would meet," Talavera said during his special segment, which included footage of him doing gymnastics, swimming and diving and track and field. "Whatever it is that I'm doing, I want to be the best I can be," he added.
The winner of "American Ninja Warrior" gets a grand prize of $1 million.
