# Australian Ninja Warrior season 5

The fifth season of the sports entertainment reality competition series Australian Ninja Warrior premiered on 20 June 2021 on the Nine Network. The season is hosted by Rebecca Maddern, Ben Fordham, Shane Crawford and Nick Kyrgios.

## Production

The Nine Network announced a fifth season on 16 September 2020. Casting applications are open until 30 November 2020. The series was again relocated, filming took place in Homebush, Sydney. In June 2021, Nine announced Nick Kyrgios would be joining the series as a sideline commentator alongside Shane Crawford, Andrew Flintoff didn't return for this season due to travel challenges and a busy schedule. In October, it is announced that Ben Fordham won't return for season 6, opting to focus on his radio career.

## Format Changes

* Obstacle Choice - During the heats, each ninja warrior has the decision to choose between two obstacles courses, both leading to the warped wall, course A includes obstacles they have attempted before on previous seasons, whereas course B includes all new obstacles not attempted before.

## Rounds

Underline represents the contestant who won the Fast Pass to the Grand Final in the qualifying heats as a result of winning the head to head competition on the Power Tower.
Green represents the contestant who won the Safety Pass in the semi-finals as a result of winning the head to head competition on the Power Tower.
Italics denotes female competitors.

### Episode 1
#### Heat 1

This episode aired on 20 June 2021. Only five competitors completed this course, with a large number of athletes bowing out on the Flying Shelf Grab. Returning athlete Bryson Klein was given a fast pass to the Grand Final, after beating last season's winner Ben Polson on the Power Tower.
* Shrinking Steps
* Big Dipper to Pole Rider
* Cyclone Spinner
Obstacle A:
* Flying Shelf Grab
* Floating Monkey
* Warped Wall
Obstacle B:
* Ring Chaser
* Clockwork
* Warped Wall
Top 19 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Bryson Klein | NSW | 1:51 | Completed |
| 2 | Ben Polson | WA | 2:19 | Completed |
| 3 | Todd Smith | QLD | 2:24 | Completed |
| 4 | Josh O’Sullivan | NSW | 3:07 | Completed |
| 5 | Stewart Furze | SA | 3:08 | Completed |
| 6 | Nathan Burley | QLD | 2:49 | Failed - B. on Clockwork |
| 7 | Sam Roberts | QLD | 2:45 | Failed - A. on Floating Monkey |
| 8 | Cruze Morley | NSW | 3:38 | Failed - A. on Floating Monkey |
| 9 | Trevor Salter | WA | 3:38 | Failed - A. on Floating Monkey |
| 10 | Katie Sparrow | NSW | 1:59 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 11 | Matthew Dwyer | NSW | 1:59 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 12 | Joel Hogan | WA | 2:02 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 13 | Olivia Vivian | WA | 2:06 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 14 | Zane De Andrade | ACT | 2:16 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 15 | Darcy Elliston | NSW | 2:25 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 16 | Clem Vertigan | VIC | 2:43 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 17 | Andrew McDonald | TAS | 3:02 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 18 | Melvin Solo | VIC | 0:45 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |
| 19 | Daniel Horvath | NSW | 0:55 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |

### Episode 2
#### Heat 2

This episode aired on 21 June 2021. Only five competitors completed this course, with a large number of athletes bowing out on the Beehive. Returning athlete Ashlin Herbert was given a fast pass to the Grand Final, after beating returning athlete Le Hua on the Power Tower.
* Shrinking Steps
* Big Dipper to Rope
* Cyclone Spinner
Obstacle A:
* Peg Board
* Bar Hop
* Warped Wall
Obstacle B:
* Weight For It
* Beehive
* Warped Wall
Top 19 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Ashlin Herbert | VIC | 1:52 | Completed |
| 2 | Le Hua | QLD | 2:16 | Completed |
| 3 | Daniel Mason | VIC | 2:26 | Completed |
| 4 | Rob Patterson | QLD | 2:37 | Completed |
| 5 | Mike Snow | VIC | 2:46 | Completed |
| 6 | David Lack | QLD | 1:46 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 7 | Rainer Scheu | QLD | 1:47 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 8 | Troy Cullen | VIC | 2:17 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 9 | Jeremy Soffe | WA | 2:31 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 10 | Will Kelly | SA | 2:34 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 11 | Celeste Dixon | SA | 4:09 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 12 | Raphaela Wiget | SA | 4:39 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 13 | Andrew Luo | NSW | 2:06 | Failed - B. on Weight For It |
| 14 | Jason Mitchell | NSW | 2:07 | Failed - B. on Weight For It |
| 15 | Khaled Mahmoud | NSW | 2:08 | Failed - B. on Weight For It |
| 16 | Ryan Rannard | NSW | 2:12 | Failed - A. on Peg Board |
| 17 | Danielle Smith | WA | 2:31 | Failed - A. on Peg Board |
| 18 | Alicia Prosser | QLD | 4:06 | Failed - B. on Weight For It |
| 19 | Russell Morris | SA | 0:40 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |

### Episode 3
#### Heat 3

This episode aired on 22 June 2021. Only four competitors completed this course, with a large number of athletes bowing out on the Cyclone Spinner. Returning athlete Charlie Robbins was given a fast pass to the Grand Final, after beating returning athlete Zak Stolz on the Power Tower.
* Shrinking Steps
* Big Dipper to Rope
* Cyclone Spinner
Obstacle A:
* Flying Shelf Grab
* Floating Monkey
* Warped Wall
Obstacle B:
* Ring Chaser
* Clockwork
* Warped Wall
Top 19 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Charlie Robbins | VIC | 2:13 | Completed |
| 2 | Zak Stolz | VIC | 2:41 | Completed |
| 3 | Mat Hutchins-Read | NSW | 3:31 | Completed |
| 4 | Judith Caroll | NSW | 6:06 | Completed |
| 5 | Travis Edwards | NSW | 1:59 | Failed - A. on Floating Monkey Bars |
| 6 | Simon Duff | NSW | 1:59 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 7 | Luke Filippi | QLD | 2:41 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 8 | Matt Filippi | QLD | 2:45 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 9 | Frank Crispo | VIC | 2:46 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 10 | Jessica Russell | NSW | 2:15 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 11 | Nathan Ryles | SA | 2:26 | Failed - A. on Flying Shelf Grab |
| 12 | Thierry Duff | NSW | 2:50 | Failed - B. on Ring Chaser |
| 13 | Martin Jones | VIC | 0:37 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |
| 14 | Ryan Solomon | QLD | 0:47 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |
| 15 | Jeffrey Mercado | NSW | 0:48 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |
| 16 | Justin Duff | NSW | 0:56 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |
| 17 | Jordan Papandrea | NSW | 0:59 | Failed on Cyclone Spinner |
| 18 | Peter Day | NSW | 0:17 | Failed on Big Dipper to Rope |
| 19 | Jay Evans | NSW | 0:19 | Failed on Big Dipper to Rope |

### Episode 4
#### Heat 4

This episode will air on 28 June 2021. Only eight competitors completed this course, with a large number of athletes bowing out equally on the Bar Hop and Beehive. First time athlete Jimmy Burrows was given a fast pass to the Grand Final, after beating also first time athlete Dylan James on the Power Tower.
* Shrinking Steps
* Big Dipper to Pole Rider
* Cyclone Spinner
Obstacle A:
* Peg Board
* Bar Hop
* Warped Wall
Obstacle B:
* Weight For It
* Beehive
* Warped Wall
Top 19 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Dylan James | NSW | 2:19 | Completed |
| 2 | Jimmy Burrow | NSW | 2:22 | Completed |
| 3 | Sam Goodall | WA | 2:28 | Completed |
| 4 | Zed Colback | WA | 2:35 | Completed |
| 5 | Jake Baker | VIC | 2:42 | Completed |
| 6 | Paul Culloty | QLD | 4:18 | Completed |
| 7 | Cameron McLintock | NSW | 4:38 | Completed |
| 8 | Chris White | WA | 4:55 | Completed |
| 9 | Eddie Burrill | QLD | 1:32 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 10 | Alex Bigg | SA | 2:03 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 11 | Kayle Goldring | NSW | 2:04 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 12 | Tom Pellow | NSW | 2:22 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 13 | Eloni Vunakece | NSW | 2:23 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 14 | Matt Laycock | NSW | 2:41 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 15 | Zachary Orchard | VIC | 2:42 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 16 | Jack Wilson | QLD | 3:25 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 17 | Lisa Campbell | QLD | 4:23 | Failed - A. on Bar Hop |
| 18 | Justin Flegler | QLD | 4:38 | Failed - B. on Beehive |
| 19 | David Bowd | NSW | 2:19 | Failed - B. on Weight For It |

### Episode 5
#### Semi-final 1

This episode aired on 29 June 2021. Two competitors completed this course. Returning athlete Zak Stolz received a second chance advantage for the Grand Final, after beating Rob Patterson on the Power Tower.
* Log Runner
* Double Dipper
* Twin Trapeze
* Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew
* Dragon Back
* Warped Wall
* Wing Nuts
* Spider Jump
* Chimney Rope Climb
Top 8 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Zak Stolz | VIC | 3:46 | Completed |
| 2 | Rob Patterson | QLD | 5:03 | Completed |
| 3 | Mat Hutchins-Read | NSW | 3:20 | Failed on Wing Nuts |
| 4 | Dylan James | QLD | 3:01 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 5 | Martin Jones | VIC | 3:30 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 6 | David Bowd | NSW | 4:31 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 7 | Sam Roberts | QLD | 2:00 | Failed on Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew |
| 8 | Nathan Ryles | SA | 2:07 | Failed on Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew |

### Episode 6
#### Semi-final 2

This episode aired on 30 June 2021. Three competitors completed this course. Returning athlete Jake Baker received a second chance advantage for the Grand Final, after beating Jack Wilson on the Power Tower.
* Log Runner
* Double Dipper
* Double Tilt Ladder
* Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew
* Dragon Back
* Warped Wall
* Basket Toss
* Spider Jump
* Chimney Rope Climb
Top 8 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Jake Baker | VIC | 4:15 | Completed |
| 2 | Jack Wilson | QLD | 6:37 | Completed |
| 3 | Olivia Vivian | WA | 7:51 | Completed |
| 4 | Travis Edwards | NSW | 2:18 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 5 | Ben Polson | WA | 2:31 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 6 | Kayle Goldring | NSW | 2:45 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 7 | David Lack | QLD | 3:02 | Failed on Dragon Back |
| 8 | Will Kelly | SA | 3:59 | Failed on Dragon Back |

### Episode 7
#### Semi-final 3

This episode aired on 4 July 2021. Four competitors completed this course. Returning athlete Mike Snow received a second chance advantage for the Grand Final, after beating Alex Bigg on the Power Tower.
* Log Runner
* Double Dipper
* Pipe Climber
* Flying Shelf Grab to Corkscrew
* Dragon Back
* Warped Wall
* Spinball Wizard
* Spider Jump
* Chimney Rope Climb
Top 8 Competitors :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time | Furthest Obstacle |
| 1 | Mike Snow | VIC | 4:52 | Completed |
| 2 | Alex Bigg | SA | 6:01 | Completed |
| 3 | Todd Smith | QLD | 6:34 | Completed |
| 4 | Sam Goodall | WA | 7:41 | Completed |
| 5 | Josh O'Sullivan | NSW | 4:18 | Failed on Spinball Wizard |
| 6 | Le Hua | QLD | 4:19 | Failed on Spinball Wizard |
| 7 | Troy Cullen | VIC | 4:57 | Failed on Spinball Wizard |
| 8 | Jeremy Soffe | WA | 5:04 | Failed on Spinball Wizard |

### Episode 8
#### Grand Final, Stage 1

This episode aired on 5 July 2021. In order to move onto grand final 2 you had to complete the course. 10 Competitors managed complete this course within a time limit. The Power Tower did not appear in this episode
* Archers Steps
* Tri-Cycle
* Log Runner
* Ring Swing
* Tilting Ladders
* Warped Wall
* Rolling Log
* Swinging Spikes
* Chimney Climb
Successful completion of Stage 1 :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time Remaining |
| 1 | Ashlin Herbert | VIC | 1:45 |
| 2 | Zak Stolz | VIC | 0:48 |
| 3 | Jake Baker | VIC | 0:43 |
| 4 | Alex Bigg | SA | 0:35 |
| 5 | Bryson Klein | NSW | 0:31 |
| 6 | Rob Patterson | QLD | 0:31 |
| 7 | Charlie Robbins | VIC | 0:23 |
| 8 | Ben Polson | WA | 0:23 |
| 9 | Olivia Vivian | WA | 0:20 |
| 10 | Mike Snow | VIC | 0:13 |

### Episode 9
#### Grand Final, Stage 2

This episode aired on 6 July 2021. In order to move onto grand final 2, you had to complete the course. Two Competitors managed to complete this course. The Power Tower did not appear in this episode.
* Rolling Steel
* Salmon Ladder to Unstable Bridge
* I-Beam Gap
* Spin Hopper
* Dungeon
* Crazy Cliffhanger to Rope
Successful completion of Stage 2 :
| Rank | Competitor | State | Time Remaining |
| 1 | Charlie Robbins | VIC | 0:16 |
| 2 | Zak Stolz | VIC | 0:06 |

## Obstacles by episode
### Heats (episodes 1-4)

| Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Heat 3 | Heat 4 |
| Shrinking Steps | Shrinking Steps | Shrinking Steps | Shrinking Steps |
| Big Dipper to Pole Rider | Big Dipper to Rope | Big Dipper to Rope | Big Dipper to Pole Rider |
| Cyclone Spinner | Cyclone Spinner | Cyclone Spinner | Cyclone Spinner |
| Obstacle A: Flying Shelf Grab | Obstacle A: Peg Board | Obstacle A: Flying Shelf Grab | Obstacle A: Peg Board |
| Obstacle A: Floating Monkey | Obstacle A: Bar Hop | Obstacle A: Floating Monkey | Obstacle A: Bar Hop |
| Obstacle B: Ring Chaser | Obstacle B: Weight For It | Obstacle B: Ring Chaser | Obstacle B: Weight For It |
| Obstacle B: Clockwork | Obstacle B: Beehive | Obstacle B: Clockwork | Obstacle B: Beehive |
| Warped Wall | Warped Wall | Warped Wall | Warped Wall |

### Semi-finals (episodes 5-7)

| Semi-final 1 | Semi-final 2 | Semi-final 3 |
| Log Runner | Log Runner | Log Runner |
| Double Dipper | Double Dipper | Double Dipper |
| Trapeze Swing | Double Tilt Ladder | Pipefitter |
| Flying Shelf Grab to Bar Hop | Flying Shelf Grab to Bar Hop | Flying Shelf Grab to Bar Hop |
| Dragon Back | Dragon Back | Dragon Back |
| Warped Wall | Warped Wall | Warped Wall |
| Wingnuts | Spin Cycle | Spinball Wizard |
| Spider Jump | Spider Jump | Spider Jump |
| Chimney Rope Climb | Chimney Rope Climb | Chimney Rope Climb |

### Grand Finals (episodes 8-9)

Grand Final :
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 |
| Snake Run | Rolling Steel | Criss Cross Salmon Ladder to Slingshot |
| Launchpad to Trapeze | Salmon Ladder to Unstable Bridge | Doorknob Drop |
| Broken Bridge | I-Beam Gap | Déjà Vu |
| Triple Corkscrew | Spin Hopper | Vertical Limit |
| Ferris Wheel | Dungeon | Flying Bar |
| Warped Wall | Crazy Cliffhanger to Rope | |
| Salmon Ladder to Stair Hopper | | |
| Barrel Roll | | |
| Underwater Escape | | |

## Viewership

| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Overnight ratings | Overnight ratings | Consolidated ratings | Consolidated ratings | Total viewers | Ref(s) |
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot | Viewers | Rank | Viewers | Rank | Total viewers | Ref(s) |
| 1 | Heat 1 | 20 June 2021 | Sunday 7:00pm | 795,000 | 3 | 71,000 | 3 | 866,000 | |
| 2 | Heat 2 | 21 June 2021 | Monday 7:30pm | 624,000 | 11 | 64,000 | 8 | 688,000 | |
| 3 | Heat 3 | 22 June 2021 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 588,000 | 9 | 84,000 | 8 | 672,000 | |
| 4 | Heat 4 | 28 June 2021 | Monday 7:30pm | 617,000 | 13 | 46,000 | 11 | 663,000 | |
| 5 | Semi-final 1 | 29 June 2021 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 572,000 | 13 | 56,000 | 12 | 628,000 | |
| 6 | Semi-final 2 | 30 June 2021 | Wednesday 7:30pm | 615,000 | 11 | 76,000 | 7 | 691,000 | |
| 7 | Semi-final 3 | 4 July 2021 | Sunday 7:00pm | 724,000 | 4 | 43,000 | 4 | 767,000 | |
| 8 | Grand Final Stage 1 | 5 July 2021 | Monday 7:30pm | 709,000 | 8 | 62,000 | 6 | 771,000 | |
| 9 | Grand Final Stage 2Winner Announced | 6 July 2021 | Tuesday 7:30pm | 815,000918,000 | 65 | 66,000107,000 | 65 | 881,0001,025,000 | |