9:31 p.m
Six candidates for Stage 3!
This is of course particularly annoying for Sladjan “Sladi” Djulabic. The veteran is the only candidate to fail in Stage 2 because he ends up missing a second or two. Otherwise, the candidates never really had much trouble with the obstacles. At best, time was running out. For example, Henry Lorenz only had 2.55 seconds on the clock when he pressed the buzzer. Philipp Göthert and Jona Schöne pressed the button at 5 and 7 seconds, but then things became a little more relaxed. Lukas Homann and Sandro Scheibler finished at 2:36.22 and 2:32.18. René Casselly was even better. The defending champion clocked an incredible 2:11.37, taking a whopping 20 seconds off his competition. This of course makes him the big favorite in the competition!
9:28 p.m
The long-running favorite in the competition
Sladjan “Sladi” Djulabic has taken part in all Ninja Warrior shows since 2016, but never won. It was particularly close in the all-star shows, in which he came second in each case. This experience is also noticeable in Sladi, who says from the outset that he wants to take his time with the stations and tackles one obstacle after the other with great calm. After the slingshot, we seriously look at the clock for the first time, because Mr. Biceps is taking a lot of time. With 50 seconds left he goes into the water. 55 is usually recommended here. He takes on two walls quickly, but takes a little longer on the third. Then the cargo net also takes a bit too long, which is why time runs out just as he reaches the platform above. There’s at most a second or two missing from Stage 3!
9:12 p.m
History continues to be written
And now comes the best of last week. The 16-year-old Lukas Homann thrilled everyone in Stage I and everything that comes now is simply an encore. On the slingshot he chooses a different technique than the others. He doesn’t use any of the notches in the trunk, but instead intertwines his fingers. Can this work well? And how! The youngest participant of all time has enormous grip strength and doesn’t even falter. He completes the course without any major breaks and easily presses the buzzer. Welcome to Stage III!
9:03 p.m
From Switzerland in Stage III!
That was extremely confident again! When it comes to running boards, it’s nice to see the different variants. Sandro Scheibler neatly places the small discs with his feet and therefore appears very relaxed. After the slingshot he takes a short break, but he doesn’t look as confused as some of the participants before him. He also seems to still have some breathing room afterward, as he spends more time underwater in one go than anyone before him. This means that time is no longer a problem at the end. With over 22 seconds on the clock, he is even the second fastest on the course!
8:46 p.m
Complete control
Jona Schöne is next to take on the course. Last year he finished third in the final standings. This means that advancing to the final stage should be a must for him. He puts the running boards over with a lot of momentum before he also goes to the slingshot. He doesn’t seem to be as dizzy as the two ninjas before. He turns briefly and takes a well-deserved break in front of the swinging wings. He calmly completes the water obstacle, goes up the net and presses the buzzer as the fourth athlete in a row. Jona Schöne had his run completely under control from start to finish.
8:39 p.m
This is getting tight again!
The first two obstacles do not appear to be a major problem so far. Philipp Göthert also climbs along the running boards with great confidence. But like Henry, the slingshot causes a lot of confusion. After a few seconds of pause, he tackles the swinging wings again very confidently, but he needs a lot of time on the third water wall. The clock runs down mercilessly as Phillip pulls himself up the cargo net, but in the end he has five seconds left. This puts him in Stage 3!
8:33 p.m
Dizziness defeated – buzzer pressed
We continue with 17-year-old Heny Lorenz. He is a newbie this season and has arrived straight into Stage II. This makes him the first minor in Stage II in the history of Ninja Warrior Germany. Henry takes the first obstacles confidently and the slingshot itself isn’t a problem. When he gets to the safe mat, however, he struggles enormously with dizziness and stays down for a short time. This means that René Casselly’s time is definitely gone. He’s still struggling through the water walls and the clock is ticking down loudly when he reaches the cargo net. On the last groove he crawls up the net. 2.5 seconds later, he would have failed this stage. So he follows in second place into the next stage.
20:23
The dream is alive
The first Ninja Warrior Germany, René Casselly, starts. As usual, he tackles the course quickly, shimmy along the running boards and spins through the slingshot trunk. He then takes a short break so as not to lose his bearings before walking along the swinging wings with his usual confidence and even somersaulting. He also feels comfortable in the water, so he can warm up the crowd at the end before hitting the buzzer. It only took him 2:11!
8:03 p.m
The course
Before the enduring Stage III begins, a quick succession of obstacles awaits the ninjas in Stage II. We start via the arrow jump, which leads to the running boards. The running boards are a previously unknown obstacle. Only the red elements may be used with your hands. It is permitted to use the feet to lock the boards in place and to rotate the attached discs. Anyone who can do this successfully can show their sense of orientation on the slingshot trunk. We continue to the swinging wings that lead to the water walls 2.0. The participants were able to get to know these in a slightly different form in the semi-finals. Get out of the water and go up the cargo net to the buzzer. However, this course is not without pressure, as there is another time limit of 2:55 minutes.
7:50 p.m
Welcome
Good evening and welcome to the grand finale of Ninja Warrior Germany 2023. For a total of seven athletes, the dream of climbing Mount Midoriyama is not yet over. Lukas Homann, Sandro Scheibler, René Casselly, Henry Lorenz, Jona Schöne, Philipp Göthert and Sladjan Djulabic face Stage II. Who will be the last man standing or will there even be a Ninja Warrior Germany? We’ll find out more from 8:15 p.m.!