Australian Ninja Warrior: 'Top competitor' bombs out after just four seconds

A 22-YEAR-OLD who was tipped to be one of the “top competitors” on Ninja Warrior spectacularly crashed out of the competition after just four seconds.

As Gabriel Iftene from Victoria walked up to the starting podium, hosts Bec Maddern and Ben Fordham raved about the athlete’s prowess.

“There’s been such a buzz about this guy around here,” Fordham said. “This bloke’s going up the wall.”

“Throughout testing he’s proven to be one of our top athletes,” Maddern added.

But instead, Iftene proved to be one of this season’s biggest duds.

The self-described warrior who said that he “resonates strongly with the way of the Ninja and Samurai” didn’t even make it through the first obstacle.

After slipping on the second of the quintuple steps, Iftene never regained his composure and fell into the water and out of the competition after just 4.36 seconds.

“What the?” a stunned Fordham said after the epic fail.

“This crowd is in disbelief,” Maddern added.

“You think they’re in disbelief … I just said he was going to go up the wall,” Fordham replied.

“I can’t believe what just happened,” Maddern said. “He was rated by our experts as a top competitor.”

Iftene’s trainer, dual Olympian Paul Lyons, also had a crack on the Ninja Warrior course but crashed out of contention on the fourth obstacle, The Basket Toss.

The other shock exit on the night was Dylan Pawson, one of the parkour twins who also competed on the show’s first season.

After his brother Brodie completed the course earlier in the episode, Dylan fell into the water on the second obstacle, the Hang Glider.

“That is unbelievable, that is unexpected, that is a massive shock,” Maddern said understatedly.

The performance of the night went to 23-year-old Ashlin Herbert who absolutely blitzed the course in just 40.68 seconds which was more than 20 seconds quicker than his nearest rival.

After his run, you’d have to say that Herbert is easily the favourite to defeat Mt Midoriyama and walk away with the $200,000 prize money.

And once again the Aussie women proved they’re the best female Ninja Warriors in the world.

History was made when India Henry, Georgia Bonora and Celeste Dixon all made it up the Warped Wall, the first time three women in the same heat have achieved the feat.

Australian Ninja Warrior continues at 7.30pm on Monday, July 16 on Channel 9

Let's block ads! (Why?)