After seven seasons and 3,500 contestants, American Ninja Warrior finally has a champion! Isaac Caldiero, a rock climber, bested all the contestants, including Geoff Britten, the first to complete Stage 4 during the Las Vegas Finals, to bring home the $1 million prize money.
Though Britten was the first contestant to complete the grueling stage, he wasn't crowned champion because Caldiero clocked in three seconds earlier than his time. According to the rules of the show, the prize money goes to the contestant who finishes the course AND has the best time. The seventh season saw eight people completing Stage 2 but many were still eliminated, with just Britten and Caldiero advancing to Mount Midoriyama.
"As the first American Ninja Warrior, I want to use this opportunity to inspire the world to find your impossible and conquer it," said Caldiero, adding that the event always seemed impossible to win.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Kent Weed said that there was just something about the way the season felt that made him think that this was the time that finding a champion was finally going to happen. Since this is also the show's seventh season, it had already grown so much, the contestants along with it, so American Ninja Warrior definitely had the momentum that set the tone to make other contenders realize that the course is doable and that it's not impossible to beat.
"We had tears in our eyes because it's been so long in coming," he shared.
Britten will not receive any prizes despite being the first to conquer Mount Midoriyama but that's just how the rules go. Weed, however, believes that for Britten, there is also great gratification in accomplishing what others can't. Sure, the prize money would have been nice, but the satisfaction from achieving a goal will be priceless.
What did he think let Britten and Caldiero beat others to not just get to Stage 4 but actually finish the course? To Weed, it was a combination of skills, but grip power, rock climbing skills and upper body strength were key. Britten, in particular, had huge forearms which gave him immense strength, while Caldiero was nimble and skillful, with little body fat to hamper him. It also definitely helped that Caldiero built a replica of Stage 3 in his backyard and trained there every day.
Despite having a champion, American Ninja Warrior doesn't look like it's slowing down, with season 8 gearing up with new obstacles and a different course.
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