d2cheer

I suspect it was more for the "Wolfpac" to get through than anything else...

Can't stand the new sideline commentator. Ugh horrible.

PhantomStranger

But the Wolfpack guys are just about the most advanced competitors in the entire field across the country. There has never been a first stage obstacle that would scare them. Isaac is probably the odds-on favorite to become the first American to finish all four stages.

HN

Kacy's Houston run:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0zMFZTdkLYc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

PhantomStranger

I was stunned they made that Houston course so difficult for Kacy. She still looked in top form but that was a difficult course. A couple of those obstacles were very tricky and her size makes the margin for error so small. I am sure she will get a wild card as the most popular female competitor but it was disappointing to see her fall. Brent looked in good form, though he's starting to get up there in age as a serious competitor.

Good luck getting a profile as a man on this show unless you have a disability or super-cute baby daughter that trains with you. Some of these human interest stories are now hitting the point of parody.

emachine12

Earlier in the qualifier, a man who was 5'1" completed the course. I'm not saying that extra inch helped him but it was pointed out that she jumped early. If she had waited a second or two longer, the gap would have been shorter for her.

Lastblade

I like one of the announcers said "And she is wet" as one of the prettier lady contestant fell into the water. I would have said more!

slop101

This is her, Jill Lancaster - very pretty, indeed!
I would not mind getting her wet...

[size]

chowderhead

to be fair, that 5'1" guy is an Olympic gymnast. This course seem more balanced then the first one. I knew she wouldn't complete the course when they did a long segment about her and showed long segments of her run last year.

PhantomStranger

Jill Lancaster can come back and run the course anytime in my book. They hyped up that female obstacle course runner that didn't get too far.

Why are 18-year-olds excluded from the competition? That must be an insurance requirement or something because I am fairly sure they are allowed to compete in the Japanese version. If anything, the pool of competitors has gotten too old since NBC took over. Most athletes in professional sports hit their peak around 23-27 these days.

uteotw

For some reason the worst ever for me was "the human panther" who slipped his foot into the water on the second to the last obstacle a year ago, trained and trained and waited a full year for his shot at redemption, and then did the exact same thing in the exact same spot. At least he's still moving on, but man that was tough to watch. Dude couldn't even speak...

PhantomStranger

That guy did look devastated his run ended the exact same way it did last year. I felt sorry for him, I bet that had hung over him all year.

chowderhead

They showed a bunch of goofs and a lot of sob stories last night but only 5-6 or so people that actually completed the course all the while saying how difficult the course was, etc. Then you find out that 25 people completed the course in Orlando. It will only encourage more people to play up to the cameras.

PhantomStranger

I haven't liked the course designs for most of the first stages. This year they shifted them towards far more climbing obstacles, which basically takes away any chance of the more fluid athletes running through them.

That new rolling log looks horribly dangerous. Someone is going to get their head split open on it. I have no idea how their insurance okayed that obstacle.

Evan Meadow

Because the Japanese show has had it on theirs and you just run the same risk. And obviously someone did hit their head on it this episode.

PhantomStranger

Elet Hall blew away the course in Pittsburgh like he usually does. I don't like "trick" obstacles, like that unstable bridge that switched midway.

magiccmom

Making these courses virtually impossible and setting people up to fail is really making me lose interest quickly in this show.

Bill Needle

Way-y-y too much time spent on qualifiers. Get on to the city finals already.

PhantomStranger

It's become a chore to sit through the qualifiers with the longer courses, especially with the show's repetitive editing formula.

HN

Wow, tilted climbing wall is cruelly difficult. Jessie Graff

Original Desmond

For those interested, here is the full Japanese Broadcast of Sasuke 31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QztUci726uU

Just recently aired

Bill Needle

I've been periodically scanning the program guide for this hoping it would be broadcast in the US. Any idea if someone will be showing this?

Original Desmond

Bill, i don't think it's ever broadcast in the US as such

Sasuke used to be re edited and aired as ninja warrior in western countries until American Ninja warrior started, now i dont think that happens anymore

PhantomStranger

I was wondering how she became so good when it was revealed she had been training with Ninja legend David Campbell. It's not a coincidence that the best female ninja warriors have been training partners with top male contenders. It was an impressive run by her.

That last obstacle was insane at the end of a long course. Virtually no one will have fresh enough muscles to make that vertical arm climb after running through nine prior obstacles.
G4 used to show it before American Ninja Warrior switched to NBC. Esquire still shows reruns of ANW but abandoned the Japanese airings.

Jason

Awesome! Thanks. Greatly prefer this to the American version.

Bill Needle