Original subtitles

BEN FORDHAM: It's been the most inspirational series

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: The 51-year-old grandad is in the Semifinals!

World's gone mad!

Watch this, Paul.

Here comes your boy.

REBECCA MADDERN: Come on, Michael! Get this!

Yes! How good was that! Whoo-hoo!

You're giving us tears here, mate.

Your dad'll be so proud of you.

And they've overcome some of the toughest obstacles we've ever seen.

You can see the pain on his face.

Every muscle in that body, every breath inside his lungs.

There's been shock exits.

Oh, no! He's gone. He's in the water.

Oh, no!

Ashlin Herbert!

But dreams have been realised.

Eddie Burrill...

Oh, my goodness me!

And now only 24 remain.

It's the Grand Final: Stage 1.

Aiming to be super fast.

I'm going for total victory.

And, for the first time ever, it's ninjas versus the clock.

Can they complete the course in time?

OLIVIA VIVIAN: It's a speed course. We are racing the clock.

The jets are definitely gonna have to be put on.

The furthest fastest from all three series

are facing off once again, and they'll want to go all the way.

Get up Mount Midoriyama, that is the goal, that's the dream.

I really feel like I could do it this year.

Hopefully, this is just a stepping stone towards Mount Midoriyama.

Or could it be one of our power couple?

Ben Polson just scraped through this year.

Oh, no!

Can he overcome his demons?

It was deja vu.

It's not a nice position to be in.

But I'm here and I'm not gonna waste this opportunity.

Or could Olivia Vivian be the first woman ever to make it to Stage 2?

My biggest goal tonight is to hit that buzzer.

To do that, I'm gonna have to be fast.

No rest times tonight.

Then there's the new contenders.

They've got their work cut out for them

because last year's winner, Charlie Robbins...

Charlie, fly!

..and a real contender for this year, Zak Stolz...

You have been phenomenal.

Bam!

..both scored a make-good on the Power Tower.

If they fail the course, they'll get to run it all again.

But, if they want to win, they'll have to get past this first.

Introducing our newest ninja killer, the Ferris Wheel.

It might look like the funhouse, but it's a house of horrors.

I don't want a ticket on that ride. Nuh.

Time is of the essence, and the equation is simple.

Just you beat the clock and get to the end of the course.

Go, go, go, go, go.

If you don't hit that buzzer in time,

there is no argument that you are out.

Get through tonight and they're one step closer to the mountain.

No-one's climbed that rope yet.

To even have the opportunity to do it would be insane.

This is it, the Grand Final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Hello and welcome to the Australian Ninja Warrior Season 4 Grand Final.

I'm Rebecca Maddern.

I'm Ben Fordham.

And I'm Shane Crawford.

We started with 160 ninjas,

and, after four heats and two semifinals,

we're now down to the best 24 ninjas in Australia,

every one of them

determined to go furthest fastest and win that massive $100,000 prize.

And, for the ninjas who complete all three stages,

there's the added incentive of a shot at Mount Midoriyama.

The fastest ninja to conquer the mountain

will score a life-changing $400,000.

It has never been conquered.

It's by far the toughest obstacle of all of them,

but, for our ninjas, tough is just part of the job description.

Ahead of them is the most demanding Grand Final course we've ever seen.

20 of the biggest, most challenging obstacles over two huge nights.

Tonight, the best 24 ninjas in the country will tackle Stage 1.

Survive this and it's on to Stages 2 and 3 tomorrow night.

Get through all these stages and they'll get a crack at ninja nirvana,

the top of Mount Midoriyama.

The Grand Final Stage 1 course

consists of nine daunting obstacles to be completed in 3:45.

That's an average of 25 seconds per obstacle,

starting with the dangerous Snake Run,

six angled steps across the pool.

Second is the Rolling Log,

where ninjas hold on through a wild spinning ride down an 8-metre track.

They'll need to battle dizziness and disorientation on the Diving Boards,

crossing three boards that demand perfect foot placement.

The Ring Turn is next, and, with the clock ticking tonight,

completing it quickly could be crucial.

Relying on upper body strength, ninjas must spin,

then lock the two larger rings

before swinging across to the smaller third ring and safety.

Obstacle five, the Flying Shelf Grab.

All about lache technique and finger strength.

Ninjas leap between three shelves of alternating heights.

Sixth is the iconic Warped Wall for ninjas to overcome,

but three more challenging obstacles await on the other side.

Starting with another time-burning obstacle,

the never-seen-before Ferris Wheel.

Using the pivoting handles,

ninjas must move around the first wheel and lock it into place.

Arm fatigue is a real issue as they make the treacherous transfer

to the second wheel to do the same all over again.

Obstacle eight is the Spider Jump,

a true test of coordination between hands and feet.

Using the mini tramp, ninjas must stick the landing,

and then scramble to save every second

through the 8-metre suspended tunnel.

Then, with the clock ticking down and fatigue kicking in,

the final obstacle is the 8-metre Chimney Sweep.

Hit the buzzer inside 3:45

and you've beaten the course and beaten the clock.

Stage 1 is done and it's onto Stages 2 and 3 tomorrow night.

It is Grand Final time and the heat is on.

Every single ninja stepping out on that course has earned their spot.

They're all weapons, the best of the best.

The pressure is on.

There's gonna be a time limit I have to beat.

It's just you beat the clock and get to the end of the course.

There's no furthest fastest.

It's buzzer or nothing.

If you don't hit that buzzer in time,

there is no argument that you are out, and there's nothing else to it.

It's all about speed, but don't go too fast where you make a mistake.

It's Ninja Warrior, anything can happen to anyone at any time.

Anything can happen tonight,

but Charlie Robbins and Zac Stolz will run a little easier

in the knowledge they have the second-chance advantage

gained on the Power Tower in the Semifinals.

If either make a mistake, or fail to hit the buzzer on their runs,

they'll get to do it all over again.

OK, let's kick off the Grand Final action

with our first run of the night.

He's an absolute legend,

who's appearing in his fourth straight Grand Final.

This year, he looks faster than ever,

and his action-packed runs always deliver.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall.

So, I've put a lot of thought into the Grand Final, especially Stage 1.

So, last year, I timed out with just a couple of seconds to go.

He's got four seconds left, three seconds, two seconds...

I got to the buzzer, hit it and it was dead, just nothing happened.

He doesn't get there, he just misses out.

That was pretty devastating.

So, I've just been working on speed this year

to make sure I hit the buzzer within the right time.

Grand Final is just a stepping stone for me.

I'm here to conquer Mount Midoriyama.

I've built one in the backyard.

I've been training it twice a day.

Times are getting faster and faster.

I'm very confident

that there's no-one out there that can beat me up that rope.

My wife and I have had another baby this year, which is great,

so that's two tradie babies.

The 400 grand for conquering Mount Midoriyama,

that would change our life as a family.

I've built Mount Midoriyama, I've trained it

and now I've come here to defeat it.

He's the Tradie Ninja.

Don't take your eyes off this guy when he's on the course.

He missed out at this stage last year, but it was only by two seconds.

Sam Goodall is fitter and faster and more confident than ever before.

Sam needs to go all the way.

There she is. Hello, Abbie.

Sam's biggest supporter with mum Rachel and uncle Zed Colback,

who will be on the course a little later.

He's in very good form, the Tradie Ninja.

Made four Grand Finals.

The whole country is right behind this man.

Can he produce the goods?

3:45 on the clock and here comes the Tradie Ninja,

making sure of the Snake Run, now onto the Rolling Log.

It's all about speed for Sam tonight

after missing out by just seconds last year.

Is he fast enough to beat the clock?

Here he goes on the Rolling Log.

It caused havoc in the semis, taking out seven ninjas, but he's held on.

Now he needs to clear his head.

And he's slowly getting up here, valuable seconds ticking away.

Gets to his feet.

He still looks a little all over the place, though.

He needs to sort it out quickly, Bec,

because the Diving Boards will punish the slightest misstep.

When that stops moving, you're out of here.

Encouragement from the sidelines but he needs to go.

Getting down to three minutes left.

Sam Goodall, go you good thing.

Oh, Sam!

Oh!

Wasn't pretty but he got there.

Big smile on Abbie's face, but now her daddy

squares up to the Ring Turn, and he's here with about 2:50 remaining.

OK, Sam Goodall onto the first ring.

Starts feeding it through his hands and feet.

Locked into place.

He has his eye on Mount Midoriyama.

He wants that $400,000, and why wouldn't you?

Oh, he looks in full control.

Look at him winding it around.

He's gonna lock it nice and quick.

We're down to 2:30 on the clock.

OK, he's gotta get a little bit of a wriggle on.

He's got the smaller ring to go now, reaches out for it,

hangs there for a moment,

but will get to the safety of the mat, oh, not on this one.

He's going round and round.

He needs to straighten up quickly, and the clock is ticking, Sam.

Come on, get off.

He's been on this obstacle for over 40 seconds.

That is too long.

He knows it. Only two minutes left.

That was a close call,

and he's wasted valuable seconds there that he really needed.

He's not happy at all.

He's not happy with where he's at at this stage.

And you know what?

You don't go through to Stage 2 of the Grand Final

unless you can hit that buzzer in 3:45.

Right now, he needs all that speed

that he picked up in training, it needs to kick in.

Here he goes onto that final shelf.

He's got it! Now the dismount.

There it is for Sam Goodall.

He'll take a look at that clock and say,

"Well, you know what, I gotta get my skates on here, no rest."

Straight up the Warped Wall.

He's only got 1:22 from now.

He's gonna have to be like a tradie at knock-off time here.

He's gotta really, really move.

Here we go on the Ferris Wheel,

never seen before in our four seasons of Ninja Warrior.

Just three obstacles to go,

but this one's really gonna eat up seconds if he's not careful.

He's gotta use the handles, and work his way around this wheel.

Lock it into place and then move onto the second one.

Come on, Sam, get a wriggle on.

The clock is ticking.

I want to give him an extra ten seconds or so but I can't!

And he's never been on this one before.

Moving it around so it locks into place.

We're down to 50 seconds on the clock.

He's gotta work his way up to the top.

He's gotta go for the reach.

It's slipping away from him, Crawf, just 40 seconds left.

Yeah, he's got two and a half obstacles to go.

He's really gonna have to push at this point.

35 seconds to go.

He needs a miracle, Bec.

Come on, Sam, everybody is cheering for you at home.

Oh, no, he's in the water!

With 27 seconds left on the clock,

there was too much to do in too little time.

And one of our favourite ninjas says goodnight.

Good effort, Sam. Great effort, mate.

Sam, we all love the Tradie Ninja.

Well done for getting this far.

Thanks, mate, good on ya.

Now, you obviously were looking at the clock.

You know you needed to go, so take us through the Ring Turn

because, obviously, you were going sideways,

which is virtually impossible to stop in a quick time.

(SAM LAUGHS)

Yeah, not a great place to hang around and waste time,

not on a course like this, so I can use one of my favourite sayings now.

A man who never made a mistake never made anything.

If you think about it, it's very true.

No doubt you'll be back bigger and better than ever.

Yeah, I've certainly got plenty to work on, so, yep, thank you.

Good on you. You should be proud. Thanks, Shane, good on ya.

Not to be for Sam Goodall, beaten by the clock again.

He didn't finish the course

so he will not make Stage 2 of the 2020 Grand Final.

We look forward to seeing you next year.

Well, there's no doubt our next ninja

has the speed to beat the clock if he can stay out of the water.

He fell short in the heats, made up for it in the semis.

Can he go all the way tonight?

Buckle up, Australia.

It's the silent assassin, Matthew Bowles.

You've got it!

I like going really fast.

I love the adrenaline rush.

Oh! Oh, look at that.

That's what makes me a good ninja.

I've got no fear.

He's pure natural talent.

In the heats, it was all going so fast.

He's only ten seconds in, he's completed two obstacles.

I got to the one obstacle that I should've gone slow for.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

I went too fast, and bounced off into the water.

I feel like I've definitely made up for my heat run,

coming in second in the semis.

And I know I'm susceptible to slipping up.

But it's not gonna stop me going as fast as I can go,

and I'm gonna smash that buzzer and be ready for Stage 2.

16th in his heat, then just

centimetres away from beating Charlie Robbins on the Semifinal Power Tower.

Consistency is an issue for Matthew Bowles,

but, when he puts it all together, this kid has something special.

Certainly does, and that's his mate, Leonard, on the sideline.

Hope he's got his running shoes on.

Let's go, let's go.

There's the buzzer, 3:45 on the clock and Matthew Bowles

flies through the Snake Run, already onto the Rolling Log.

Grabs a hold, starts to roll.

Not as great with the grip as other ninjas.

Ooh...

He's hanging on, though, makes it to the end.

Yeah, there was a big gap between his body and the log, but he held on.

20 seconds gone now.

He's gotta now shake it off.

He looks a little unsteady.

That's really knocked him about.

Shaking that head.

Does a turn.

Come on, Matthew, straighten up.

Not the start he was looking for.

Time's ticking away.

Now he'll take off on the Diving Boards, and he makes it.

A few uncomfortable moments, though.

He's gonna need to pick up the pace, Ben, on this Ring Turn.

He's six seconds faster than Sam, and that is not enough.

He's up onto the first ring, trying to push it through his hands.

It's not really happening for him.

He's struggling here, fighting with the ring, trying to lock it in.

Now he gives it a big shove, locks it into place at last.

He's lost even more time.

Now on the second ring.

He's moving this one much faster and that is better for Matthew Bowles.

Here he comes now, off ring one,

onto ring two and, hopefully, onto ring three - gets it.

Now he's gotta swing for the dismount.

He's off!

This is a real battle. You can see...

You know what to do.

He's feeling the pace.

Four obstacles done, five still to come.

2:05 on the clock.

He's in a fight for his Grand Final life.

Up onto the Flying Shelf.

He knows he needs to start clawing back some of the time.

He's caught with the side.

Normally a lot of the ninjas catch in front,

and then put their hands around to the side.

He's going straight to the side,

knows he needs to make up a bit of time on the clock.

Crawf, he hits the third shelf.

Dismount and it's the Warped Wall next.

Time is starting to concern me.

He has got a real fast finish on his hand if he's gonna make it happen.

He's got 1:30 and three obstacles.

What he can't afford to do right now

is take his time on the Ferris Wheel.

I know he's looking at this obstacle 'cause he's never seen anything

like it before, but he does not have the luxury now of taking his time.

He needs to get on that pole and onto the Ferris Wheel quick smart.

Now Matthew Bowles gets ready to take on the first wheel.

The clock counts down to the 1:00 mark.

I'm getting worried for him now, Ben, really, really worried.

Quickly onto the second wheel.

This is where Sam Goodall realised the game was up.

Matthew Bowles, can he beat the Ferris Wheel?

He needs it to roll around and lock into place.

There it is.

Now the dismount, and he'll have two obstacles left

to get in under 45 seconds.

Missed the opportunity to get off.

Come on!

Yes! Lands it.

The question is, how good is Matthew Bowles?

We are about to find out.

You're right about that, Bec.

This is gonna be a helluva finish.

Get ready to watch something special.

He sticks the Spider Jump.

He is gonna have to fly through this.

22 seconds left on the clock.

Can he do it, Bec?

This is gonna be unbelievably tight.

Out of the Spider Wall. He sprints to the Chimney Sweep.

He's got less than 15 seconds.

Up he goes. Come on, Matthew Bowles!

That's the hooter.

Under ten seconds to go.

Matthew Bowles is gonna do it.

He books his place in Part 2 of the Ninja Warrior Grand Final!

Now, that's what I'm talking about!

(CHEERING)

That's the champ.

By the skin of his teeth,

Matthew Bowles becomes the first ninja into Stage 2.

Time pressure was enormous.

He had a tricky start, all at sea on the Rolling Log,

lost his way on the Ring Turn, but his natural ability

and sheer determination dragged him up that chimney.

(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)

Take a bow, Matthew Bowles.

It looked impossible at one stage, but he managed to pull it off,

and that means he is heading to Stage 2 tomorrow night.

Coming up tonight, Grand Final: Stage 1.

The best of the best race to hit the buzzer before time runs out.

Who can take a giant step towards Mount Midoriyama,

and the chance of becoming Australia's first Ninja Warrior?

Will it be one of our returning champions, Fred Dorrington,

Rob Patterson or last year's furthest fastest, Charlie Robbins?

Or the only Australian female ever to reach the Grand Final,

Olivia Vivian?

Can new favourite Zac Stolz raise the bar

or will experience count

for contenders Bryson Klein and Ben Polson?

They're on course next.

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

Tonight is Stage 1, a race against the clock to qualify

for Stages 2 and 3, and the right to take on the mighty Mount Midoriyama.

After being a runner-up in the last two seasons, our next ninja

is more determined than ever to take out this year's competition.

Here is Bryson Klein.

To get to this Grand Final has taken a lifetime of training.

Everything I feel in my life has prepped me quite well to be here.

Yeah!

Training for this season, I've got a trainer.

Oh, yeah!

It's been a multi-month process.

Whoo!

Look at him go, straight through!

He's like lightning.

I've been runner-up two years in a row.

I think he's gonna do it, Bec.

Oh, no.

He could've done it.

But this year I truly believe I can win it all.

That's just what I've come to do.

And there's Bryson's sister, Tessa,

hoping that he can book his place in Stage 2 tonight.

Whoo, go, Bryson.

Season 2 runner-up, Season 3 runner-up.

Second by less than a second to Charlie Robbins

in the heats and on the Power Tower.

Tonight, he won't accept anything less than a win.

He wants to be our first Australian Ninja Warrior.

Bryson Klein is feelin' fine.

You watch this man go.

He is gonna set the course alight.

OK, 3:45 on the clock,

and Bryson shows light feet through the Snake Run.

And he is quickly onto the Rolling Log.

Let's see how he goes.

He's the perfect shape for Ninja Warrior, tall and lean, 185cm, 75kg.

Bam!

I don't know whether it helped on the Rolling Log.

It dumped him onto the mat.

He picks himself up, shakes it off.

That's really knocked him about.

You gotta make sure you've got your bearings

before you head off down the runway over the Diving Boards.

Ooh, an early scare, Bryson. Ooh!

Come on!

Gets up now, it's onto the Ring Turn.

Bec, so far, he's the fastest to this point by nearly ten seconds.

You got it, Bryson.

Locked in.

Reaches for the second ring, misses but gets it on the next swing.

Is he feeling the pressure?

A couple of early mistakes from Bryson.

Pulling that second ring around.

It's locked.

Now the momentum.

Oh, that is a huge reach.

That is very, very impressive right there.

He's looking good, Crawf.

2:35 remaining, four obstacles done.

He's the fastest by 30 seconds to the Flying Shelf Grab.

And off he goes.

Ooh! (CROWD GROANS)

Just hit the board at the back here with his feet,

which made him have a couple of extra swings.

Bryson Klein now gets ready to let go,

and grab a hold of that second shelf.

Very close.

His head was very close there.

Yeah, now the third one.

Does that a bit better.

There's the dismount.

Despite a few uncharacteristic lumps and bumps,

Bryson Klein is now at the top of the Warped Wall with 2:02 remaining.

And three obstacles to go.

He's huffing and puffing a bit.

Is he gonna take a break before this Ferris Wheel?

Alright, deep breath.

He doesn't take a break.

He goes straight up that pole.

Moving his hand onto the first handle now, and he goes up.

Remember, the Ferris Wheel moves once you get to a certain point.

Gee, he's a good climber, isn't he?

Now it starts to roll. He is so good in the air.

The first wheel locks into place.

Now for the transfer.

He's gotta get across, then work his way over the top again.

And now, on the second wheel,

Bryson Klein, he's a no-nonsense operator,

but I just love watching him 'cause he gets the job done, Bec.

He is looking really good.

There's the lock.

1:05 on the clock now as he makes his dismount,

ready to take on the Spider Jump.

He's at the second-last obstacle in good time.

Bryson Klein closing in on another Grand Final: Stage 2 appearance.

Here he goes.

Hits the tramp, yes!

Sticks it, as he makes his way through the Spider Jump now.

Plenty of time up his sleeve.

Oh, no! No, no, no!

Bryson Klein, out of nowhere, has slipped down the wall...

With 45 seconds on the clock! ..and ended up in the water.

I don't know how that happened. How did that happen, Bryson Klein?

Everything was fine, he felt he had enough time

and then, towards the end of the Spider Jump,

all of a sudden, there was just one minor mistake,

a loss of traction in one foot

and it cost his entire dream in Season 4 of this competition.

Bryson, what do you say to that?

Far out.

That's... I suppose take a good life lesson out of that.

Got my goals, have ambitions, I knew I could do it

and I slipped up.

You know, life sometimes throws a slippery spider wall at you.

Silly mistake.

Silly, silly, silly mistake.

I'll learn from it and I'll come back better next time.

We'll see you back then. Well done.

We love what you bring to the course. You're awesome.

Thank you so much, appreciate it.

Well, that is a huge shock that will rock all the other ninjas.

Bryson Klein will not make Stage 2 of the Grand Final this year.

One tiny error of judgment and this course will punish you.

Yeah, Bryson!

A harsh lesson that our next ninja also learned in the Semifinals.

Now, in the Grand Final, he's looking to bounce back in a big way.

Give it up for the one and only Ben Polson.

Season 1 and Season 2, I was a grand finalist.

Yes, the fastest time of the night by over three minutes.

Good times were rolling.

Yeah!

Last year was my worst year.

This guy is one of the best.

Oh, no, Ben.

Falling in the Semifinals was unexpected,

and, this year, on the fifth obstacle in the Semifinal,

which is exactly where I went out last year...

Oh, no.

..it was deja vu.

I honestly did think it would be the end of my Season 4,

and it was just a waiting game from there on out

to see if I would make it to the Grand Final.

It's not a nice position to be in.

But I'm here.

I scraped my way into the Grand Final,

and I'm not gonna waste this opportunity.

I will be hitting a buzzer.

Ben Polson.

Just when you thought he was out of the competition, he's back,

and could he do a Steve Bradbury,

come from behind and win the whole thing?

Do your thing.

There's plenty to prove for Ben tonight.

Girlfriend Olivia Vivian the support on the sidelines.

She will be running a little later on.

No more second chances, no more mistakes.

This is it for Ben Polson.

Nine obstacles between him and Stage 2.

The buzzer sounds, and Ben Polson's 3:45 experience gets underway.

Now, this man says he can get up Mount Midoriyama.

He said he is the fittest he has ever been,

so, if it's gonna be any time, it is going to be this year.

Survives the Rolling Log, Ben Polson.

Gives the head a shake.

Now he's gotta pick himself up, and another shake.

He's got the Diving Boards next.

Shake yourself out.

He does the turn.

You gotta make sure

you got your balance before you start doing the Diving Boards.

Is he fully recovered, Crawf?

That's the question.

Straight through the Diving Boards with poise.

Now the Ring Turn.

And a different approach from Ben, making the most of that 6'5" frame.

Not using his legs.

Now he's onto the second ring.

Kicks those long legs up.

There it is, the second lock.

Now he's gotta use those long limbs again

to reach for the third and final ring.

Nice! Oh, he has got it.

He's off!

He's done the Ring Turn really, really quickly,

and that leaves him time up his sleeve for the next obstacles.

I am getting excited right now

because I'm looking at the clock and I'm looking at Ben Polson's face,

and he is in total control of this course.

Flying to the second shelf.

He's in great shape, beautiful rhythm and now the last one.

The dismount is perfect.

You're on good time.

Here he goes, Ben Polson, straight up the Warped Wall,

on top of the Warped Wall,

and, with just over two minutes to go, three obstacles left.

Make sure you're ready for this.

Now, the question is how much has the first part of this course

taken it out of him?

What's he got left?

He's taking a breather.

He knows the clock is ticking.

Here we go.

1:30 on the clock to go.

Need to move your way through this nice and quick.

He's locked and he's loaded.

Up he goes, very carefully working his way around the Ferris Wheel,

holding on nice and tight.

It locks in.

Ooh, this is where it gets scary, the transfer to the second wheel.

Good work, Ben.

He's been very smart, Bec.

He needed to make sure that he had conserved his energy,

that he had enough of it to get him through the Ferris Wheel

and then he'll worry about the next two obstacles when he gets there.

I've gotta say, he's looked extremely confident and capable

through the last few obstacles.

Here's the dismount.

Off the Ferris Wheel with around 50 seconds remaining.

Ben Polson has two obstacles to go.

And how is the calming encouragement from Olivia Vivian?

She's not getting stressed, she's not stressing him out.

Focus! Just calm encouragement.

Ben hits the Spider Wall. Yes!

He needs to be careful through here.

We saw Bryson Klein slip away in the tunnel.

And because he's 6'5", it's very cramped,

so perhaps a little bit trickier for him than other ninjas.

But he's done it and he's looking so good.

He's timing this to perfection.

Ben Polson is now at the final obstacle, the Chimney Sweep.

23 seconds on the clock. Up we go, the Chimney Sweep.

Look at him go, that great strength, this amazing ninja that he is.

He's up to six metres, 13 seconds, 11 seconds.

Pops his head through the hole, and, Ben Polson, you are through

to the next stage of the Grand Final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Is that the man on your screen

that can be the first to conquer Mount Midoriyama?

I'll tell you what, he's in with a red-hot shot.

So cool.

So calm.

So relaxed.

All through the course, there was a rhythm and a flow

that we haven't seen from Ben Polson so far this year.

He just had everything sorted,

didn't allow any of the outside pressures to get inside his head.

Well, Olivia's happy, and why wouldn't she be, Crawf?

Ben, how are you feeling?

Uh, tested the cardio, that's for sure.

I like these courses 'cause they really push you to your limits,

so everything went to plan and I'm happy.

Now, you've virtually done a Steve Bradbury

because you snuck yourself in to the Grand Final.

I'm super grateful to be here, you know?

And I used my life in the Semifinal.

I fell, I did make it through,

I'm very, very grateful for that, so I still have Stage 2 and 3,

but I truly believe I can make it to Mount Midoriyama.

Olivia, how do you describe that performance?

This is his zone right here.

He was awesome to watch.

I wasn't nervous for him one bit, so, well done, babe, well done.

Well done, enjoy and we'll see you in Grand Final number 2.

Thank you. Ben Polson.

Right from the heats, Ben Polson has been saying

he's going to reach Mount Midoriyama,

and he's just taken a huge step towards it tonight,

becoming ninja number two into Stage 2 of the 2020 Grand Final,

and he's got the fastest time of the night so far.

Coming up, the three ninjas who have been our furthest fastest champions.

Charlie Robbins.

Rob Patterson.

And next on course, Fred Dorrington.

Get up Mount Midoriyama, that's the dream.

Let's go.

Can they handle the pressure and make their experience count?

Find out after the break.

Welcome back to Stage 1

of the Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

Two ninjas have completed the course,

and booked their place in Stage 2.

Now, that's what I'm talking about!

Moving another step closer

to the ultimate goal of taking on Mount Midoriyama.

And that's the dream for a trail-blazing ninja,

who's in the warm-up gym, having a little chat with Crawf.

Thanks, guys, here with Olivia Vivian,

the only female into the Grand Final.

What an achievement.

Oh, thank you so much.

Look, I am proud, I'm super honoured

to be in the Grand Final, and I'll be doin' it for all the ladies.

Absolutely.

Now, so far, you've been taking your time,

and making your way down the course beautifully.

Tonight, it's about the clock. Yeah, absolutely.

Look, I've been very strategic in the heats and the semis.

They were very tough courses.

Tonight, I'm just gonna have to, you know, switch off the brain a little

and let my muscle memory and my body do the work.

Good luck.

Bec and Ben, she's ready to go.

Oh, you do not want to miss Olivia Vivian on this Grand Final course.

That's coming up soon.

One of only five to finish the course in his semi,

our Season 1 champion knows what it takes

to get that job done, Fred Dorrington.

My game plan is always hitting buzzers.

Come on, Fred Dorrington!

Yes, he's done it!

Keeping it controlled, keeping it smooth.

A cool and calm operator, Fred Dorrington.

How good was that?

Not push it and go crazy, and slip on something silly or injure myself.

Just need to hit a buzzer and get out of there.

Bang on the buzzer!

"I'm going through to the Grand Final!"

Job done.

I don't just go training for fun.

It's always - how is this gonna help me achieve my Mount Midoriyama goal?

How am I gonna get to the top?

I'm really ready to go.

This is the season to do it.

I want to wake up the day after the Grand Final 400 grand richer.

First Australian Ninja Warrior - let's go.

He sounds confident, that's for sure,

and, when you talk about pedigree, this guy's got it all.

Furthest fastest Season 1.

He's appeared in every single Grand Final.

Is this the year he puts all the experience together

and finally climbs the mountain?

Fred's ready to go.

He's got his donut socks on, which are gonna bring him a lot of luck.

Let's go, Australia.

(KLAXON SOUNDS) Here we go.

The pressure's on, as Fred skips through the Snake Run,

and jogs to the Rolling Log, an early sign he's thinking about that clock.

He'll be trying to strike that balance between speed and safety.

He's done it all.

He was furthest fastest in Season 1, so he knows what this is all about,

and he wants to go a whole lot further this year.

That is beautifully done.

Fred, he means business.

He wants to win this thing.

Crawf's trying to keep up.

Fred's got to keep his head.

This is where Matthew Bowles struggled to clear his head earlier.

Fred has got to deal with the Diving Boards.

One, two, three.

Sorted.

Straight onto the Ring Turn now.

He is moving really well.

He's the fastest to obstacle four by a second.

And he's locked in that first ring.

He turns himself around to reach for the second,

grabs a hold of it.

Confidence.

He is in full flight right now.

Fred is putting on a show.

Well done. Oh, look at this, he's gonna go.

One grab P you watch this.

One grab to the third ring.

Bang!

Using every bit of his wingspan.

Swings to the dismount.

Little bit of a stumble.

He was close to the scaffold.

And had he hit it, he could have been disqualified.

Oh no! Bit of a scare for Fred, but he is OK.

Now onto the Flying Shelf Grab.

2:25 remaining.

Up on the parallel bars now, pushes himself,

really gets the momentum going from the hips.

We see the experts,

the ones that know what they're doing,

using this technique.

Now onto that very shallow shelf.

Makes it to the third. Oh!

And it will be a nice dismount

and the clock is looking good.

And he's down!

Fred Dorrington is going to hit the Wall at the two-minute mark.

Up you go, Fred Dorrington.

Push those arms.

Well done, mate. Up and over the Warped Wall.

Six obstacles ticked off, three more to come.

Fred is striking that balance between pace and risk.

He is the second fastest on the course,

heading to the Ferris Wheel.

Making really good time.

He's got time to take a breath.

And up he goes.

WOMAN: Go, Fred! Come on, let's go!

And he is onto the first wheel

of the Ferris Wheel.

Up and across he goes.

You can see the Ferris Wheel now moving.

It will fall down and then he needs to make the transfer.

This is where the burn starts to catch up.

This is where the arms feel the previous six obstacles.

Fred is finding a way.

Up he goes.

Up nice and high.

It's taking everything out of the body

but he is in beautiful control right now.

Only a minute to go on the clock with two obstacles to go.

If he can land this...

Yes!

How is the time looking, Ben? He's good.

Fred Dorrington has got 50 seconds to complete this course.

But we've seen the Spider Jump is tricky.

Come on, Fred!

He's got to be careful.

He hits it.

Oh! Oh no!

No! He doesn't stick it. (BUZZ!)

He just slipped. Oh, and it's over!

Fred Dorrington, he had the finish... The foot just fell...

..right in front of him. ..down, foot...

And the moment his feet touch the Spider Jump,

one of them just slips down.

(CHEERING)

Fred, I know you're disappointed.

Take us through what happened.

Didn't stick it.

Um...

We're gonna have a look at the replay up on the screen.

Yeah, I was conscious of the time.

Probably popped too early.

Yeah, I didn't get deep enough.

How hard is that to watch?

It's gut-wrenching, actually.

Damn!

I've got to wait a whole year for this again.

Dammit!

But hey, that's Ninja, that's how it goes.

I'm pretty, pretty bummed.

You were making great time, don't be too harsh on yourself.

You put on a great show.

We'll see you next year. No worries, cheers. Thanks.

Well done, Fred!

The Spider Jump has taken out another gun ninja.

Thank you!

One of the biggest shocks of the season.

Fred was so close but not to be this year.

He is one of the very best and he bows out of this competition.

Still to come, the favourites to win Australian Ninja Warrior 2020,

both with a priceless second chance advantage.

The defending champion, Charlie Robbins.

And the contender for the throne, up next, Zak Stolz.

Having this advantage is massive.

Like, it's just a game-changer.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior

Grand Final 2020.

BEC: In the heats and the semis,

the ninjas could afford to play it safe.

But tonight it's all about speed under a ticking clock.

And with speed comes a greater degree of risk.

And while you were away, the action continued.

28-year-old Hipster Ninja

Eddie Burrill started in style...

CRAWF: Flies is his way through the Snake Run.

..but his chances slipped through his fingers on the Shelf Grab.

(GASPS) No!

Oh, Eddie!

The hipster barista was on track,

but it might have just been too much pressure.

Then ballet dancer Rainer Scheu

sashayed to the start line.

Come on!

And shimmied through the course.

Nice! This guy looks good.

He had his eyes set on the buzzer,

until his footwork let him down on the Spider Jump.

Here he goes.

Bang!

Oh no!

Oh no! No!

And the Bigg Ninja, Alex Bigg,

went looking to qualify for stage 2

for the second time.

OK, here he goes.

Across the Diving Boards.

Oh! Oh, Alex!

Did we lose him?

We lost him. Alex Bigg!

Oh my goodness, that is a shock.

Time now for our next ninja.

And for the first time tonight,

the precious second chance advantage is in play.

Yeah, that's right, Bec.

If Charlie Robbins or Zak Stolz need it,

they can use it.

If they muck up on their first run,

if they don't hit the buzzer in time,

they get to do it all again.

(CHEERING)

It's a priceless golden ticket

for one of the favourites to take out this year's competition.

He looked almost unstoppable in the semi-final

and if he can keep that form going,

this could be the year for this 21-year-old superstar.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is Zak Stolz.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Semis, wow, it was fun.

He is moving super fast.

He is undoubtedly one of

the strongest ninjas tonight.

Go, Zakky!

He's about a minute faster than Rob Patterson.

It's the first time I've been fastest,

so it's pretty exciting.

I have this awesome opportunity tonight.

Aiming to be super fast.

Go, go, go, go.

Knowing I have the chance to fall and it's not the end of the world,

I think that's a game-changer.

Here comes Zak Stolz.

He made it to the second stage of the grand final last year

and after looking so good in the semifinals

and having the second chance advantage,

he'll be confident of going all the way.

All his mates on the sideline cheering him on

and very familiar faces.

Yeah, there's Ashlin Herbert and Dirt

alongside Zak's mum, Joanna.

Dirt will be on the course later on, his first grand final appearance.

(CROWD CHANT) Zak Attack! Zak Attack!

Zak Attack! Zak Attack!

The boy from the Peninsula.

Can he deliver?

Yes, he can.

He's given me a wink, he's ready to go.

Let's see how he goes, Crawf.

He's in the form of his life,

but that means nothing until you test it on a course like this.

(BEEP) And that is the buzzer.

We are away with Zak Stolz.

3:45 on the clock.

Nine obstacles between him and grand final 2.

Already onto the Rolling Log.

Eight metres, it's gonna throw him around.

Down he goes.

Landed safely.

Gets up.

And there it is, the thumbs up.

Tries to shake out the cobwebs.

Has a little spin.

Now he's got three Diving Boards to face.

Here he goes. Zak Attack.

Watch him attack the Diving Boards.

Look at that!

He went with the hands in the air.

That is a different technique, but it worked.

Now the Ring Turn.

He gets that first ring moving.

His legs are up, he's pulling the ring instead of pushing it.

Locks it in.

Go, Zak.

What a great technique.

Grabs onto that second ring,

kicks up the legs to save his arms.

He is doing this faster than anybody else.

And here he goes, Zak Attack locks it in,

ready to get swinging.

2:45 on the clock.

He's going well.

Oh, nice.

Beautifully done!

Completes it.

He is now the fastest so far up to this point,

just ahead of Bryson Klein.

Now the Flying Shelf Grab.

Up onto the bars.

He looks totally in charge.

Onto the first shelf.

Great catch.

Gets the hands around to the side, gets the legs swinging.

Beautifully done.

Now, just one more lache to the last shelf.

Needs a big kick.

Gets there. Just the dismount to go.

Looking so good.

2 minutes 10 seconds on the clock now.

Zak Stolz on top of the Warped Wall.

But he's only halfway there, Bec.

Oh, he is looking good.

Zak, you've got plenty of time!

Two minutes left.

Shakes out the hands, exchanges a few words with Dirt and Ashlin.

And contemplates three obstacles

in the space of 1 minute 50 seconds.

Up he goes on the Ferris Wheel.

This will chew up time, but he is moving really well.

Makes his way across the top of the Ferris Wheel.

Locks it into place.

Now the transfer.

Oh, it's so tough!

Yeah, Zak reaches up for the next handle

and the next.

Look at him picking up the pace.

Zak Stolz is on fire.

The second wheel now rolls around.

It locks into place.

He starts kicking those legs,

getting the sideways lache.

Completes the Ferris Wheel.

He is the fastest to this point so far.

We are watching something extraordinary.

Sticks the Spider Jump,

starts to race through that tunnel.

Remember, he's got that second chance advantage

but Zak Stolz is acting like he's never gonna need it.

Go, Zakky. Let's go, mate!

And now 50 seconds left on the clock,

it is the Chimney Sweep.

He is about to hit the buzzer and go into grand final stage 2.

What a magnificent run.

(CHEERING)

Go, Zakky!

(KLAXON SOUNDS) Bam!

The third ninja to qualify for stage 2!

That was incredible! (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

What about that?

Zak Stolz is leading the charge

to become the Ninja Warrior champion for 2020

and potentially make it all the way to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

What a champion!

Zak's secret is that he sees time-saving opportunities

other ninjas don't.

Like a big jump onto the Ring Turn to start it moving,

then pulling rather than pushing to get it through his hands.

And reaching up for a higher handle

while transferring on the Ferris Wheel.

Minor adjustments that save seconds off his time.

And so far, he's the ninja to beat in 2020.

(CHEERING)

Zak Attack.

That was attacking the course like no-one else.

It is the fastest time of the night, so well done.

Thank you very much.

Not even puffing!

Oh, it wasn't easy!

And that's Mum. How proud are you of this man?

Oh my God, he's amazing. He's amazing!

Hey, Zak, you've a massive chance to go all the way.

Well done. $400,000.

Would you share it with your mates? Probably not, no.

(LAUGHTER)

Good answer. Well done.

Thank you very much.

And there is Zak Stolz on the top of the leaderboard,

safely through to stage 2.

Joining him at the moment,

Ben Polson and Matthew Bowles.

Well, are we looking at the first ever Australian Ninja Warrior?

Zak Stolz is that good

and he is in the form of his life.

It's gonna take something very special to beat him.

We are a long way from finished.

Coming up, the season's contenders.

Four former grand finalists ready to take the next step.

Gun gymnast Jordan Papandrea,

WA's Zed Colback,

the Mighty Mo, Alex Matthews,

and everybody's favourite stuntman, Mike Snow.

This is where the pressure really comes in.

It's buzzer or nothing.

(CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

BEN: Welcome back to

the Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

As you'd expect, at this level of the competition

we've seen some astonishing runs already.

BEC: Speed is of the essence tonight.

The ninjas are racing the clock.

And during the break,

two more contenders took on this formidable challenge.

The last of

the Mornington Peninsula boys,

Troy 'Dirt' Cullen,

got off to a flying start.

The underdog story of Ninja Warrior for 2020.

But came back down to earth on the Ferris Wheel.

Oh, he's struggling a little bit here, Dirt.

He missed that grab.

You can do it! Come on!

But look at the determination, look at the bite.

Can he grab this handle?

Oh no! We lost Dirt! (BUZZ!)

Good work. Good work, mate.

Then Sam Goodall's brother-in-law

Zed Colback also discovered

the Ferris Wheel isn't always fun.

I am worried.

He just needs to get off this obstacle.

With time running out, he botched the dismount.

Oh no! Oh no!

No, no, no!

Zed Colback.

Well, he's got what it takes to be a brilliant diver.

(LAUGHS)

That was one of the more spectacular dives we've seen on Ninja.

(CHEERING)

Now it's time for a two-time grand finalist

who has totally transformed his body and his training

for one sole purpose P to climb Mount Midoriyama.

It is Mike Snow!

MIKE: As far as DIY Mount Midoriyamas go...

Whoo!

..Bryson Klein and Sam Goodall,

they've got their backyard Mount Midoriyamas.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Doing it in the sky,

I've one-upped youse.

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for ya.

Yoo!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Wow.

One of only 17 ninjas to compete in all four seasons.

This guy is a contender this year.

He lost 6kg specifically for the grand final.

He felt he didn't have enough speed when he was a bit heavier.

Will that make the difference?

Part of Mike's motivation

are health challenges faced by his mum,

so we've organised a little surprise.

We've got his mum, Angela, in the big screen.

A very good evening to you, Angela.

ANGELA: Hello. Yeah, Mum.

How are you feeling? Are you nervous?

A little, yeah.

We are too.

But I hope Mike is not nervous.

We want him all the way tonight,

through to the second stage of the grand final.

And to do that, Mike must complete nine obstacles

in 3 minutes 45 seconds.

No second takes for the stuntman.

Now or never. (BEEP)

There's the buzzer.

Mike Snow is underway,

a year of training and dedication on the line right now.

Onto that Rolling Log.

Gets a good grip.

Despite losing weight,

he's still one of the heaviest ninjas in this grand final

at 81kg.

It's throwing him around a bit, but he hangs on.

Pulls himself together.

There's the thumbs up.

Good start for Mike Snow.

He's that the Diving Boards in about 25 seconds.

And he needs to hit the centre of each spring-loaded board.

Here he goes.

Oh, skips no problem at all.

He is neck-and-neck with the fastest time to the Ring Turn

set by Zak Stolz.

Wraps his leg around that big ring.

Pushing it through his hands.

He'll get it locked in.

There it is.

Ring number one locked.

Making the early transition to the second one.

Looking good on this tough obstacle, Ben.

Yeah, Bec. He needs to deal with these rings.

He's gone all out with his training methods this year.

And so far, his time is good.

He's now got 2 minutes 40 left on the clock.

You're absolutely right

and he will fly through this Flying Shelf Grab.

Just to compare,

he is now faster than Zak Stolz to the fourth obstacle.

What about the muscles on this guy?

He is trained to perfection.

Yes, Mike Snow!

CRAWF: And look at the strength to get his legs up nice and high.

Very hard to do.

Come on, get there, Mike Snow!

Well done!

And he's away.

He's got 2 minutes and 10 seconds

as he hits the Warped Wall.

He's matching the fastest times tonight.

Up he goes.

Has a look around, takes in the beautiful sights of Melbourne.

And now he heads up towards the Ferris Wheel.

Although he's very strong up top,

this will test him, the Ferris Wheel.

And as the clock counts down now, chewing up a little bit of time

as he comes towards the third last obstacle.

1:47 left on the clock.

We know how tough the Ferris Wheel is.

He's got about 35 seconds each

for the last three obstacles.

Onto the poll now.

This is where his weight loss might come into play.

Shaking out those arms a bit.

He is feeling that burn after six obstacles.

And onto the first wheel.

And what we are seeing right now is a textbook run.

Mike Snow looks good.

Here he goes, the transition from one wheel to the next.

And now look at this P

just using every muscle in the upper body.

Oh, Mike Snow, this is...

He's made it to the top of the wheel. ..perfect!

Hold on, Mike Snow.

And now it's time to exit.

Zak Stolz is still the fastest to this point tonight,

but Mike Snow not far behind.

This is the best that Mike Snow has ever looked in this competition.

All that daredevil training and loss of a few KGs

is paying off.

Here we go. Time to hit the Spider Wall.

Oh, God!

Frightens me.

And he is racing through that Spider Wall now.

Clock is ticking down.

40 seconds left on the clock

as he makes his way up the Chimney Sweep.

He's not gonna catch Zak Stolz' time,

but this is a sensational run for Mike Snow.

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

Yes!

Mike Snow hits the fireworks. Whoo-hoo!

Ignites the crowd. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And we have just seen one of the great grand final runs.

He's beaten the clock with 32 seconds to spare

and Mum is watching on on the big screen saying,

"That's my boy."

Wow.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Almost the complete performance from Mike Snow.

He didn't put a foot wrong in the early part of the course.

He relied on his flawless lache and ring technique.

He showed his grunt on the Ferris Wheel,

recording the second-fastest time tonight

and sending a warning to all the other grand finalists.

Mike Snow, that was incredible.

What great speed, especially up the Chimney Sweep.

It's kinda one of the easiest ones to train for, hey?

It's like go outside and find two walls.

That is a parkour thing that I've been training since I was 15.

So that's not concerning.

Stuff like Ferris Wheel is concerning.

If you can get up Mount Midoriyama,

$400,000 P what do you spend it on?

Me mum.

Mum's gonna get whatever I can that can make her life easier.

400K, that's just a silly amount of money, hey?

Use it to do a lot of positive stuff for her

and a bit of the world, you know?

You've always got to look after your mum

and she's extremely proud.

Yeah, no, it's wicked to have her up on the big screen.

Cheers, Mum.

See you in grand final number two. Thank you.

BEN: 32 seconds left on the clock.

Thanks, everybody.

That's a stunning time. Beautiful performance, Mike Snow.

He is the fourth ninja

to book a place in grand final 2.

He means business.

Still to come tonight...

three ninjas chasing history.

Reigning champion Charlie Robbins P

can he be the first to defend his title?

Olivia Vivian,

the only Aussie female to make the grand final.

Can this trailblazer be the first ever female

to reach stage 2?

She hit's the buzzer!

Olivia Vivian! Yes!

But before then, Rob Patterson.

Rob Patterson hits the buzzer

with 1 minute 18 left on the clock!

2018's Furthest Fastest looking to become

the only ninja ever to appear in stage 2 all four years.

This is the aim.

The ultimate aim is Midoriyama behind us,

but it's getting there.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

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

The best of the best

are racing against the clock

to qualify for stages 2 and 3

and prove they are ready to take on...

the mighty Mount Midoriyama.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

During the break, two more contenders stepped up.

BEC: Gymnast Jordan Papandrea

was chasing his third

stage 2 appearance in a row.

Look at the power in the legs,

look at the power in the arms. Oh, wow!

Two leg breaks in two years couldn't slow him down

as he hit the buzzer with time to spare.

Jordan Papandrea! Whoo-hoo!

Jordan Papandrea hits the buzzer. He makes it!

You are on fire!

Then the Mighty Mo, Alex Matthews,

made it to the Chimney Sweep

with 20 seconds remaining.

He might just be able to do this.

He's got 8m to get to the top of the Chimney Sweep.

Alex Matthews knows what he's doing.

Oh my goodness!

Alex Matthews, you've been here three times before.

But you need to get there! Eight, seven, six...

Come on, Alex! ..five...

(KLAXON SOUNDS) He's done it! Bingo!

Alex Matthews, you are through to the next stage

of the grand final!

Oh, what a run!

Six ninjas have now booked their

place in grand final stage 2.

Zak Stolz completed the course

in the fastest time.

He'll be joined by Mike Snow,

Jordan Papandrea, Ben Polson,

Alex Matthews and Matthew Bowles.

The pressure goes up another notch,

but our next ninja has made stage 2 of the grand finals

every single year,

going on to become Furthest Fastest in season two.

It is Rob Patterson.

(KLAXON SOUNDS) Yes!

Rob Patterson!

What an extraordinary athlete.

He's the man they call Robot Rob

because of his precise, aero-free runs.

This bloke is a machine!

How good is the Robot Warrior?

This ninja overachiever

is appearing in his fourth straight grand final.

ROB: Australian Ninja Warrior is an opportunity to show

how much my training has prepped me

for anything and everything.

I do want to be able to claim that I can conquer the course,

as well as really push myself and find my own limits.

It's very much a brilliant challenge,

it's the biggest challenge.

(CHEERING)

Well, nobody's got a better record

in this competition than Rob Patterson.

This year, he's done what he's needed to do.

He's made it all the way to the grand final.

Expect fireworks tonight.

You got this, Rob.

That is girlfriend Tamara on the sidelines.

She'll be riding every bump through this course with Rob.

(BEEP) We are underway

with the 24-year-old robotics engineer from Brisbane.

He made light work of the Snake Run.

Go, go, go.

And now he will wrap himself around the Rolling Log.

Straight into the log roll. Lock it in!

That's what they do, hold on for dear life.

And then bang!

Thumbs up. He's got his bearings.

And he's straight onto the Diving Board!

Oh, look at that.

He is the quickest so far tonight.

Yep, flawless stuff from Rob.

And he is five seconds faster than Zak Stolz onto the Ring Turn.

This is where his gymnastics background will come to the fore.

Locks in the first ring.

Now a big swing coming, reaches for the second.

He is really swinging that ring around,

he's got to lock it.

And then he's gonna go for that third ring.

He's so comfortable up there on these rings.

Swinging for the third one now.

He'll grab it.

And down. Four obstacles done already.

Quick shake and go!

He is doing really good on the clock.

He's now got 2 minutes and 40 seconds to go, Rob Patterson.

And he's flying.

Amazing technique.

Look at the way that he throws those legs up.

He's one of the visual reminders, isn't he, Bec?

That you don't have to be the muscleman,

you don't have to be the biggest.

He's actually got the perfect power-to-weight ratio.

He weighs 68kg, 173cm tall,

and he is strong P make no mistake about that.

Takes a quick glance at the clock

and realises he's got more than two minutes up his sleeve

and that is the perfect position to be in

in the grand final.

Bec, Rob Patterson is the fastest to the Warped Wall

by a couple of seconds.

He is dominating the course.

Shake it out for a second.

Good advice from the sidelines because the Ferris Wheel is next.

He's been so fast through the first six obstacles.

He's got time to rest just a little.

This is looking like an extraordinary grand final.

We have some of the best of the best already through tonight.

Will Rob Patterson join them?

At the moment, he is on track to record the fastest time of the night.

But the Ferris Wheel, we know how tough this is.

Gets that first wheel moving.

Locks it in.

Moving across to the second wheel, so he moves up a peg.

And now hopefully he can make the transfer.

He will.

And he does. Oh, yes!

One minute 15 seconds left.

Here he goes on to the second wheel now.

You've got to go up. Oh!

Oh no! Oh, he almost slipped.

Come on, Rob.

Keep going! Come on, Rob!

He really is starting to fatigue. I can hear him breathe.

He's decided to go a different way.

And look at this -

Rob Patterson is going underneath the second wheel.

It's within the rules but it's longer and more difficult.

He is struggling.

I don't think he's got much left.

Keep going.

Oh! Oh no! (BUZZ!)

We lost him in the pool.

Ahh.

It was going so well for Rob Patterson.

You can see how disappointed he is.

You did well.

He was so fast through the first part of the course.

Maybe that was his undoing

because when he reached the Ferris Wheel,

his arms seemed to be shot.

He didn't have enough gas to go up and over the second wheel.

In desperation, he tried to go underneath.

It was a longer and tougher way to go

and that is the end of his grand final run.

What an extraordinary grand final this is turning out to be.

Good job.

We started tonight with three returning champions,

but Fred Dorrington is out

and now Rob Patterson gone to.

Season three's Furthest Fastest, Charlie Robbins,

is the last champion standing.

Pressure is on, Charlie.

He'll be on the course next.

And then the Ninja Warrior legend Olivia Vivian.

Yes! Yes! Yes! She does it!

Olivia Vivian!

Ah!

Just hitting that buzzer felt amazing.

She's inspired a nation,

but can she make it into stage 2

for the very first time?

I am so excited to be here.

I am once a closer

to my ultimate goal of getting to Mount Midoriyama.

(CHEERING)

BEC: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior,

where six of the best everyday athletes in the country

have booked their place into stage 2

of the 2020 grand final...

moving a huge step closer to the ultimate ninja challenge...

Mount Midoriyama.

BEN: It's time for our next ninja.

He's our reigning Ninja champ,

Furthest Fastest in his heat and semi-final.

He also holds a golden second chance ticket.

Here is Charlie Robbins.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Go, Charlie!

Come on, Charlie!

BEC & BEN: Charlie Robbins!

FREDDIE FLINTOFF: You are the winner

of Australian Ninja Warrior 2019.

Charlie Robbins, he crushed it last year.

Look at this guy fly!

Well done, Charlie!

He's a machine, he's a speed demon.

Charlie Robbins hits the buzzer. Charlie!

Charlie is pretty casual.

Put him on the course and he can do some damage.

To complete nine obstacles against the best in the country.

He's done it with 1 minute and 2 seconds

left on the clock.

He is a world-beater.

It'd just boring to see him do well again, wouldn't it? (LAUGHS)

BEN POLSON: For that guy to have an extra life in his back pocket,

he's in a really good spot to do two years in a row.

Having a chance to climb Mount Midoriyama this year

would be awesome.

Didn't get there last year,

so be really cool to have the shot this time.

(CHEERING)

We've already seen season one Furthest Fastest, Fred Dorrington,

as well as season two's champ, Rob Patterson,

fall short tonight, so...

(LAUGHS DRYLY)

..the pressure is on, Charlie.

He can afford to run that little bit faster tonight

because in the Power Tower after the semifinals,

whoever won that challenge got a second chance opportunity.

If something goes wrong on this run, he gets a second chance.

Come on, Charlie!

He's got his mum and dad,

his grandpa, his grandma on the side.

Yep, they are all here.

Zak Stolz still with the fastest time tonight,

but here comes the reigning champ

and he sprints onto this Rolling Log.

That is a sign of things to come.

Lock it in! Lock it in!

Just 21 years of age.

The focus and intensity of Charlie Robbins

has been so impressive to watch.

There he goes!

Safely through the Rolling Log.

He'll pick himself up and start to clear his head,

preparing himself for obstacle three.

Unwind. That's it, mate.

Here he goes.

He does the Ninja Warrior turn

just to rebalance and refocus,

adjusts the glasses, rubs hands and says,

bring on the Diving Boards!

Ooh. Whoa, whoa!

Bit of a forward roll, but Charlie's through

and he's at the Ring Turn just a few seconds slower

than Zak Stolz.

And he is straight up and working that ring around.

He's already locked in the first ring,

reaches across for the second.

Misses it!

A bit of a surprise.

He'll get it on the next swing.

He does.

Working hand over hand moving that ring.

Locked into place and now he will swing for the third ring.

There he goes, he's got it.

Charlie Robbins through.

And now he meets the Flying Shelf Grab.

Straight onto the first shelf.

You've got this, mate. You've got this.

This guy is on fire!

Here he goes, beautifully done.

And what a really good catch.

Didn't catch it full extension,

catches with a little bit of a bend.

That just shows he is in full control.

And now he's onto the Warped Wall.

With 2 minutes and 13 seconds to go,

Charlie Robbins faces the Warped Wall.

He's up.

It's a dead heat with Zak Stolz through the first part of the course.

The last three obstacles will test his endurance.

And this is where it all fell apart for Rob Patterson.

On the Ferris Wheel.

Now Charlie Robbins makes his way

onto the first of the two wheels.

Making his way up the top.

Then the wheel just start moving to drag you down.

He actually lowers himself holding onto two different ones.

That is the first time any ninja has approached the Ferris Wheel

that way tonight.

He's Charlie Robbins, he won the series last year P

he can do it any way he wants.

Come on, man.

Stay focused.

Here he goes.

Once again, that unusual grip -

one on one, one on the other.

Now he is gonna get the swing.

Needs to make the dismount.

He's taking some time.

Come on, get off, Charlie.

But there it is. He's down.

And now onto the Spider Jump.

Here is where it all went wrong

for Fred Dorrington as well as Bryson Klein.

And Charlie, he just looks absolutely shattered.

Has he got enough left in the tank?

Breathe deep, breathe deep.

He's really fatigued.

He's had a great deal taken out of his body so far.

He's got to nail this, get his way through the Spider Wall.

Here he goes, Charlie.

Sticks it.

But that is only half the job.

Being so tired, he needs to be careful through this tunnel.

Oh, he's not doing it as smoothly as some of the other ninjas.

Definitely feeling the pace.

But he'll make it through

and he has just one obstacle to come.

Go, Charlie!

Charlie Robbins enters the Chimney Sweep.

There's 30 seconds to go right now.

Up the chimney he goes.

Both Zak Stolz and Mike Snow had finished by this stage.

4m, 5m, 6m.

He is just nailing this Chimney Sweep,

incredible Charlie Robbins!

Hit the buzzer, Charlie!

(KLAXON SOUNDS)

And with 13 seconds left on the clock,

Charlie Robbins eyes off his spot

in grand final part two.

He looks exhausted but now he can go away,

rest and prepare for his assault on Mount Midoriyama.

Go, Charlie!

He did it!

Oh, it wasn't flawless from Charlie.

He missed the grab on the Ring Turn,

but still matched the fastest ninjas through the course

until the last few obstacles,

where he was noticeably fatigued.

But he showed all the grit and determination of a true champion

to finish the job and book his place in stage 2.

Charlie, how you feeling?

Um, pretty good. Pretty knackered.

Um... Fair enough too!

I was keeping an eye on the time.

I sort of knew I had a little bit of my sleeve,

so I sort of rested a little bit to make sure I got it done.

There's no point trying to rush it tonight

'cause if you hit the buzzer you know you're going through,

so just get it done.

Taffy, your grandfather P you were fantastic.

I loved the way that you really get into it.

That was all heart and guts tonight, wasn't it?

Well, that's what the family is all about.

We've been supporting him right from the start and,

well, we just love each other, I guess. (LAUGHS JOYFULLY)

I know, there's a lot of love and it was fantastic to watch.

Yeah, absolutely.

I'm really lucky to have these guys.

Really great that they can come along and cheer me on.

Really appreciate it.

Well done.

WOMAN: Go, Charlie! Go, Charlie!

BEN: A beautiful family and the dream of becoming

Australia's first Ninja Warrior

very much alive for Charlie Robbins.

What a performance tonight.

But...

there's still one more ninja to come.

OLIVIA: My focus tonight is to make it through to stage 2.

Can superstar Olivia Vivian beat the course...

I'm gonna have to be smooth.

..and beat the clock...

I'm gonna have to be fast.

..to become the first female ever

to make grand final stage 2?

My ultimate goal tonight is to hit that buzzer.

Can she make history?

BEC: (ECHOES) She's done it! Olivia Vivian has done it!

I wanna be the first Australian Ninja Warrior.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(CHEERING)

BEN: Welcome back to the 2020 Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

Get ready, Australia, for the final run of stage 1.

BEC: Well, it has been another incredible campaign

for this amazing ninja.

She is the only Australian woman to ever make a grand final

and tonight she is ready to storm into stage 2

and make history again.

Please give her the biggest welcome.

It is Olivia Vivian!

The first year, hands down,

it was the hardest challenge

I've ever had to face.

The crowd is pumped, willing her on!

I face-planted that Warped Wall.

Will she do it?

No! (BUZZ!)

And didn't make it through to semifinals.

But it changed my life, it lit a fire up under me.

And I've just been setting goals

that are higher and higher each year.

Up the Warped Wall.

What? What? What?!

The grip is good.

Olivia Vivian, you are a superstar!

She pumps those arms,

she's gonna do it!

(KLAXON SOUNDS) Yes!

She does it!

Here I am, this is my third grand final.

I wanna make it through to stage 2,

a stage that I have never reached before,

and I'm just one step closer to my ultimate goal.

To be the first ever female to get up Mount Midoriyama.

Olivia Vivian feeling so confident in the grand final.

Last year I got to the Spider Wall.

(GASPS) Oh no! Oh no!

Olivia Vivian.

I was truly crushed.

Tonight, it's a speed course. We are racing the clock.

The jets are definitely gonna have to have to be put on,

so I'd better go.

Tschu!

Here she is.

An absolute superstar.

She had to battle through adversity

in a remarkable semi-final run.

It went for over ten minutes.

The clock is gonna be a big challenge for Olivia tonight.

Is she fast enough to beat it?

Time will tell.

There's boyfriend Ben Polson, already through.

He looked so good earlier tonight, didn't he?

And a reminder that no female

has ever reached stage 2 of the grand final.

(BEEP)

Time to change all of that, Olivia.

3:45 on the clock

and through the first obstacle.

The Rolling Log.

Hold on tight, wrap your legs tight.

Hang on to that thing, don't let go.

She had a big scare on the log in her semi-final.

Her legs came loose and she nearly hit the water.

Uh-oh. Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Oh, whoa, whoa!

It nearly happened again! Nearly thrown off.

She survives. Oh, Olivia!

That is a real let-off for Olivia Vivian.

She needs to compose herself now and get back on track.

And what pressure Olivia Vivian has on her shoulders,

being the only woman to make it to the grand final.

Here she goes on the Diving Boards,

taking her time, and that is wise,

even though our athletes are running against the clock.

She's nailed the Diving Boards.

When you're ready, when you're ready.

As a former gymnast she'll be more comfortable on this,

the Ring Turn.

She's got here in the second slowest time of the night.

She needs to crank it up.

Come on, Olivia Vivian.

Starts moving for the second one.

Misses it.

Here we go, next one. This is it.

Big swings, big hips.

She's getting some great coaching on the side

from her partner, Ben Polson.

She made the transfer

and then just locked her legs in on the first one

to make sure that she can lock that second ring

into its latch.

There she goes.

She is now secure, just needs to get untangled.

She'll get the momentum up to make it through to the third ring.

This is an absolute warrior right there.

Down she goes to the other side.

2:15 on the clock.

She steps up to the Flying Shelf Grab.

This is obstacle five.

Four more to go after this.

Here we go.

The lache coming to the first shelf.

Look how high she kicks up the legs.

Great technique.

She flies now to the second shelf.

One more shelf to go.

Perfect form.

And land's it.

Olivia Vivian is about to face the Warped Wall

with 1 minute and 46 seconds left on the clock.

No time for any tricks today.

She's just got to get up and over

and that's exactly what she does.

Big, deep breaths, Crawf, as she comes over the wall.

She's got 1:30 left

with three obstacles to go from now.

It is gonna be close, Ben.

And look at her.

Desperately trying to get some feeling back into her arms.

Once you're on, use your hips.

Here we go, up the pole.

1:18 on the clock.

This is gonna go down to the wire.

Side-to-side, that's it.

She's working her way around the top of the wheel.

She'll get to point where it drops down.

There you go.

Now she's locked and ready to transfer.

Oh, we are down to 1 minute on the clock.

Working her way around the Ferris Wheel.

Come on, Olivia.

You can do it.

The whole of Australia is right behind you.

If she can get on the next obstacle with 40 seconds to go,

she can get there.

Arms got to be burning, though.

Come on, Olivia Vivian!

Needs to dismount.

Here she goes.

Lands it.

Oh! She's just thrown out her ankle a little bit.

Oh, she's OK, but she did not need that

before her nemesis from last year's grand final,

the Spider Jump.

Remember, she slipped down the wall into the pool

at this point exactly.

She can't think about that now.

Just 30 seconds left!

She does it! Come on, Olivia!

28 seconds left on the clock.

Look at her go. This is incredible!

Go, Olivia, go!

Now she's got 20 seconds to get up the Chimney.

Come on, Olivia Vivian.

It's gonna be a race against the clock.

Can she finish?

The first female into the grand final number two.

Look at her go!

Olivia Vivian is about to put her way

into stage 2 of the 2020 Ninja Warrior!

(KLAXON SOUNDS) (CHEERING)

She's done it!

Olivia Vivian, you legend!

Whoo!

You are remarkable, Olivia Vivian!

She's crying, we're crying.

(LAUGHS JOYFULLY)

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

Well done, babe!

Yoo!

Take my pulse! Whoo-hoo!

Get me an ambulance! Someone, help me!

What just happened?

Olivia Vivian has just posted her best result

in the history of Australian Ninja Warrior.

It gives you chills, it gives you tears in the eyes.

That was something special to watch.

Well done, Olivia Vivian.

What can you say about Olivia Vivian?

She nearly came unstuck on the Rolling Log,

felt the burn on the Ferris Wheel,

smashed through the Spider Wall

and still managed to beat the clock.

What an unbelievable ninja this woman is.

And into the history books she goes.

Olivia, oh my goodness.

Oh my God. Six seconds to go.

OK. You're showing the boys how it's done.

Oh... far out.

I mean, I did honestly doubt myself a little bit

going through that Ferris Wheel.

It's just a matter of using my hips, my brain.

And I had to dig deep, but oh my God!

Yes! (SCREAMS)

We are all excited, don't you worry about that.

You are amazing, you are incredible.

We love watching what you bring.

You're into grand final number two! Congratulations.

Thank you so much.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: There's magic in the air tonight

and it's Olivia Vivian who cast the spell.

Oh my God!

An incredible performance

to hit the buzzer with just six seconds left on the clock

and for the first time ever,

Olivia Vivian is in stage 2 of the grand final.

Let's have a look at the leaderboard.

Eight ninjas have made it into stage 2.

Zak Stolz leads the way.

He was in top form tonight.

Followed by Mike Snow in second,

faster than ever.

Then Jordan Papandrea.

2019 champ Charlie Robbins

finishes in fourth.

And after missing out last year,

Ben Polson rounds out the top five.

Olivia Vivian becomes

the first Australian woman through to

stage 2 of the grand final,

qualifying sixth.

'Mighty Mo' Alex Matthews

and 'Silent Assassin' Matthew Bowles,

seventh and eighth.

I don't know about you but I can't wait to find out

who can pull it all together right at the right moment

on our grand final 2 courses

and take away that first prize, Bec, of $100,000.

And with the mighty Mount Midoriyama in their sites,

one ninja has the chance to change their lives

by winning $400,000

and becoming the first Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tomorrow night, we'll see if a ninja has earned the right

to climb Mount Midoriyama.

We'll catch you for the thrilling conclusion

to the Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Final.

Goodnight. Goodnight.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)