American Ninja Warrior 8

American Ninja Warrior 8 was the eighth season of American Ninja Warrior and the first season after Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero's total victories on the previous season. The season premiered on June 1st, 2016, and hosted five cities for qualifying rounds in Los Angeles, Atlanta (new city), Indianapolis (new city), Oklahoma City (new city), and Philadelphia (new city), with the national finals being held in Las Vegas. For this season, Matt Iseman returned as the host for his seventh season, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila returned as the co-host for his fourth season, and Kristine Leahy returned as the sideline reporter for her second season. Episodes were aired at NBC on Wednesday night, but changed to Monday night (starting on June 13th, 2016).

Prior to the season premiere, NBC aired a 2-hour special episode called American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special, beginning with Matt Iseman (the host) and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (the co-host) assembled their respective all-star team (consisted of three veterans, one rookie competitor, and one female competitor), as well as the skills competitions in the supersized obstacles.

Some top competitors did not get a call to compete, including David Campbell, who had to compete as a walk-on.

Starting on this season, the prize money would be split equally if more than two competitors successfully completed Stage Four. This was due to the controversy from the previous season, as Isaac Caldiero was the only competitor who won the $1,000,000 cash prize despite Geoff Britten also achieving total victory (due to the fact that only the competitor who completed Stage Four within the time limit in the fastest time would receive the cash prize). However, this particular rule would eventually be abandoned on American Ninja Warrior 11 for no apparent reason, returning the original rule.

Because of Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero's total victories on the previous season, just like in SASUKE (when the course was significantly altered to increase the difficulty in the tournament after the achieved kanzenseiha in the previous tournament), the course on this season was also significantly altered to increase the difficulty, with the most notables were the introduction of the Floating Steps in every city qualifying course (replacing the Quintuple Steps from the past three American Ninja Warrior seasons) and the escalation of the Warped Wall's height in every city qualifying course for the first time ever (from 14 feet from the past seven American Ninja Warrior seasons to 14.5 feet).

Los Angeles Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 1st, 2016.

Taping Location: Universal Studios Hollywood

Obstacles
① ^Floating Steps

② ^Tick Tock

③ ^Escalator

④ ^Ring Jump

⑤ *I-Beam Cross

⑥ *Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Trivia

 * Los Angeles qualifiers on this season became the first time in American Ninja Warrior history, that two female competitors qualified to city finals. However this record was broken during Philadelphia qualifiers on the same season, when 4 female competitors qualified.

Atlanta Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 8th, 2016.

Taping Location: Turner Field

Obstacles
① ^Floating Steps

② *Big Dipper

③ ^Block Run

④ Spin Cycle

⑤ ^Pipefitter

⑥ *Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Indianapolis Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 13th, 2016.

Taping Location: Monument Circle

Obstacles
① ^Floating Steps

② *Rolling Log

③ ^Fly Wheels

④ ^Disc Runner

⑤ *Swinging Spikes

⑥ *Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Trivia

 * Indianapolis qualifiers on this season became the first city qualifiers course in American Ninja Warrior history to be built at a curve instead at straight line. This was because the course took place at Monument Circle in Indianapolis.
 * Indianapolis qualifiers on this season was also memorable to feature Zach Gowen, who became the third amputee competitor to compete on American Ninja Warrior (after Stephen France and Artis Thompson III). However, unlike those two, Zach ran the course without his prosthetic leg (making him the first competitor to compete with just one leg). Despite that, he was able to complete 2 obstacles (the Floating Steps and Rolling Log).

Oklahoma City Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 20th, 2016.

Taping Location: Oklahoma State Capitol

Obstacles
① ^Floating Steps

② ^Ring Swing

③ *Log Runner

④ *Tire Swing

⑤ ^Bar Hop

⑥ *Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Trivia

 * The taping of Oklahoma City qualifiers took place during Daniel Gil's 23rd birthday.
 * Oklahoma City qualifiers on this season became the first occurrence in which the "POM Run of the Night" was not awarded from a completion on a course. In this case, it was awarded to Artis Thompson III (due to his effort for completing the Log Runner with his prosthetic leg).
 * Oklahoma City qualifiers on this season also became only the third city qualifiers course in which the fourth obstacle became the cut off for advancing to city finals (after Venice Beach qualifiers on American Ninja Warrior 6 and San Pedro (Military) qualifiers on American Ninja Warrior 7).

Philadelphia Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 27th, 2016.

Taping Location: Richmond Power Plant

Obstacles
① ^Floating Steps

② Log Grip

③ *Paddle Boards

④ ^Wall Drop

⑤ ^Rolling Thunder

⑥ *Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Trivia

 * For the first time ever, 4 women qualified to city finals. This was the largest amount of female competitors advanced to city finals. Those 4 women were later known as The Fantastic Four, referencing the Marvel superhero team of the same name.
 * Five years later, this record was broken during the second qualifying round in American Ninja Warrior 13 when 5 women qualified in the top 30 to the semifinals.
 * Due to the Rolling Thunder, Philadelphia qualifiers had set the lowest amount of finishers during city qualifiers on this season (with 9 finishers). This was also the second lowest amount of finishers during city qualifiers in American Ninja Warrior history at that time (until American Ninja Warrior 9's Denver qualifiers at 8 finishers), only behind American Ninja Warrior 7's Venice Beach qualifiers (at 7 finishers).
 * Miles Avery was once again the oldest competitor to advance to city finals (at 57 years old).
 * In the end of overall city qualifiers rounds on this season, no competitor could complete the city qualifiers course in less than 1 minute, which was for the first time ever in American Ninja Warrior history.

Los Angeles Finals
Original Airdate: July 11th, 2016.

Taping Location: Universal Studios Hollywood

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② +Tick Tock

③ +Escalator

④ +Ring Jump

⑤ I-Beam Cross

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ ^The Wedge

⑨ Helix Hang

⑩ Invisible Ladder

^ - New Obstacle

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 8's City Qualifiers Course)

Atlanta Finals
Original Airdate: July 18th, 2016.

Taping Location: Turner Field

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② +Big Dipper

③ +Block Run

④ Spin Cycle

⑤ +Pipefitter

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ *Floating Monkey Bars

⑨ ^The Clacker

⑩ Invisible Ladder

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 8's City Qualifiers Course)

Indianapolis Finals
Original Airdate: July 25th, 2016.

Taping Location: Monument Circle

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Rolling Log

③ +Fly Wheels

④ +Disc Runner

⑤ +Swinging Spikes

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ *Hourglass Drop

⑨ ^Circuit Board

⑩ Invisible Ladder

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 8's City Qualifiers Course)

Oklahoma City Finals
Original Airdate: August 1st, 2016.

Taping Location: Oklahoma State Capitol

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② +Ring Swing

③ Log Runner

④ Tire Swing

⑤ +Bar Hop

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ *Bungee Road

⑨ ^Window Hang

⑩ Invisible Ladder

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 8's City Qualifiers Course)

Philadelphia Finals
Original Airdate: August 22nd, 2016 (after a three-week break due to NBC's broadcast of the 2016 Summer Olympics).

Taping Location: Richmond Power Plant

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Log Grip

③ Paddle Boards

④ Wall Drop

⑤ +Rolling Thunder

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ *Flying Shelf Grab

⑨ ^Stair Hopper

⑩ Invisible Ladder

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 8's City Qualifiers Course)

Trivia

 * Philadelphia finals on this season became:
 * The first city finals course in American Ninja Warrior history to have zero competitors finished the course, and
 * The second occurrence in which the "POM Run of the Night" was not awarded from a completion on a course. In this case, it was awarded to Jesse Labreck (due to her effort to become the first woman to complete the Rolling Thunder, the fifth woman to scale the Warped Wall, and qualify to Las Vegas national finals on her first season appearance).

Las Vegas National Finals
Each competitor who competed in Las Vegas national finals must wear clothes/attributes that represented his/her respective qualifying city.

Stage One
Original Airdate: August 29th, 2016 & September 5th, 2016.

Obstacles
① ^Snake Run

② Propeller Bar

③ ^Giant Log Grip

④ Jumping Spider

⑤ Sonic Curve

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ ^Broken Bridge

⑧ ^Flying Squirrel

Time limit: 140 seconds.

^ - New Obstacle

Stage Two
Original Airdate: September 12th, 2016.

Obstacles
① ^Giant Ring Swing

② ^Down Up Salmon Ladder

③ ^Wave Runner

④ *Butterfly Wall

⑤ ^Double Wedge

⑥ ^Wall Flip

Time limit: 210 seconds.

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compare to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Stage Three
Original Airdate: September 12th, 2016.

Obstacles
① ^Keylock Hang

② *Floating Boards

③ *Ultimate Cliffhanger

④ ^Curved Body Prop

⑤ Hang Climb

⑥ *Walking Bar

⑦ Flying Bar

^ - New Obstacle

* - Modified Obstacle (Compare to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Obstacles
① Rope Climb (75 feet)

Time limit: 30 seconds.