Tim Champion crowned first ever Ninja Warrior UK winner after five years
Athlete completed Mount Midoriyama rope climb with just one second to spareNinja Warrior UK has finally crowned its first winner after Tim Champion conquered the notoriously tough Mount Midoriyama.
The ITV physical gameshow began in 2015, but during its first four series, nobody managed to complete all of its tricky obstacles.
Instead, praise was given to the contestants who made it the furthest.
However, after five years, the UK has now found its first true Ninja Warrior in the aptly-named Tim Champion.
The latest run concluded last night (Saturday June 1) with fifteen athletes facing the assault course once more in the grand finale.
To earn a shot at Mount Midoriyama, they had to make it through two rounds.
Tim was one of eight who completed stage one, which had a time limit of 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
“I’m positive that this is the year someone’s gonna win,” he predicted. “Whether it’s me, I don’t know.”
In round two, they faced the ‘Crazy Cliffhanger’, ‘Spider Flip’ and ‘Flying Bars’.
Tim was the only person who completed all three hurdles, with the Manchester Central audience erupting in cheers.
This was a huge feat in itself, as it meant he’d be the first contestant on Ninja Warrior UK to even attempt Mount Midoriyama.
The show’s hallmark obstacle, it is a gruelling 22 metre-high rope climb.
As if the physical pressure and epic heights weren’t daunting enough, he only had 45 seconds to reach the top.
The 24-year-old made it halfway up the rope within 15 seconds, before the pain started to kick in.
Remarkably, he dragged himself to the summit and slammed the final buzzer with just one second to spare.
Fireworks lit the arena as Tim’s family celebrated his success.
He told host Ben Shepherd: “I burned out and then it was just so touch and go. I felt like I had nothing, but somehow I just kept moving up the rope.
“I achieved something I never thought I would. It feels amazing.”
Ninja Warrior UK is based on Japanese sports entertainment competition Sasuke.
According to Sasukepedia, Tim is only the sixteenth competitor who has achieved ‘complete victory’ across all global adaptations of the format.
ITV is now casting for a sixth series of the show, with application details available on its website.
