American Ninja Warrior 9

American Ninja Warrior 9 was the ninth season of American Ninja Warrior, and the second season after Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero's total victories. The season premiered on June 12th, 2017, and hosted six cities for qualifying rounds in Los Angeles, San Antonio (new city), Daytona Beach (new city), Kansas City, Cleveland (new city), and Denver, with the national finals being held in Las Vegas. Among the 6 qualifying cities for this season, Kansas City returned since American Ninja Warrior 7, while Denver returned for the first time since American Ninja Warrior 6. For this season, Matt Iseman returned as the host for his eighth season, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila returned as the co-host for his fifth season, and Kristine Leahy returned as the sideline reporter for her third season. The logo for American Ninja Warrior was also slightly changed.

This season brought some major changes for the competition, particularly for female competitors:
 * During city qualifiers, among all of female competitors who competed, the top 5 of them would advance to city finals.
 * If there was at least 1 female competitor who could complete the city qualifiers course or reach the top 30 among all of the competitors, that female competitor would automatically fill one of the top 5 female competitors' spots in city finals (e.g. if there were 3 female competitors who could complete the city qualifiers course or reach the top 30 among all of the competitors, those 3 female competitors would automatically fill the first 3 city final spots for top 5 female competitors, meaning their names were placed in the leaderboards for the top 30 among all of the competitors and the top 5 among all of female competitors).
 * This particular rule didn't apply if more than 5 female competitors could complete the city qualifiers course or reach the top 30 among all of the competitors.
 * During city finals, among all of female competitors who advanced to city finals, the top 2 of them would advance to Las Vegas national finals.
 * If there was at least 1 female competitor who could complete the city finals course or reach the top 15 among all of the competitors who competed in city finals, that female competitor would automatically fill one of the top 2 female competitors' spots in Las Vegas national finals (meaning her name was placed in the leaderboards for the top 15 among all the competitors who competed in city finals and the top 2 among all of female competitors who competed in city finals).
 * This particular rule didn't apply if more than 2 female competitors could complete the city finals course or reach the top 15 among all of the competitors who competed in city finals.
 * Because of those two rules above, there would be no wildcards to be rewarded.

Also, with the announcement of the American Ninja Warrior: Obstacle Design Challenge from the previous season, in which fans created obstacles that would be modified and used in one of the city qualifying courses and Las Vegas national finals, eight were submitted from the fans, and would be used on this season.

Los Angeles Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 12th, 2017.

Taping Location: Universal Studios Hollywood

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② ^Cannonball Drop

③ Fly Wheels

④ *Block Run

⑤ ~Battering Ram

⑥ Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

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

Trivia

 * During the taping of Los Angeles qualifiers (as well as during Los Angeles finals), former SASUKE All-Star and SASUKE champion, Nagano Makoto, appeared to watch and give his support for some of the competitors. In fact, before Brian Kretsch's run, Nagano did a ceremonial backslap to him (which was usually did with his fellow former SASUKE All-Star, Takeda Toshihiro).

San Antonio Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 19th, 2017.

Taping Location: Bexar County Courthouse

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② *Tic Toc

③ *Spinning Bridge

④ ~Sky Hooks

⑤ *Pipefitter

⑥ Warped Wall

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

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

Daytona Beach Qualifiers
Original Airdate: June 26th, 2017.

Taping Location: Daytona International Speedway

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② ^Rolling Pin

③ ~Wingnuts

④ *Broken Bridge

⑤ *Rolling Thunder

⑥ Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle 

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

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

Trivia

 * In the end of overall city qualifiers rounds on this season, Drew Drechsel had clocked the fastest overall time (compared with 5 other competitors who clocked the fastest time in their respective city qualifiers), which was the third time on his American Ninja Warrior appearances (after American Ninja Warrior 6's Miami qualifiers and American Ninja Warrior 8's Atlanta qualifiers).
 * During Daytona Beach qualifiers on this season, John Loobey became the oldest competitor to complete an obstacle on American Ninja Warrior (at 65 years old). However, one week later, his record was beaten by Rich Talavera during Kansas City qualifiers (at 70 years old).

Kansas City Qualifiers
Original Airdate: July 3rd, 2017.

Taping Location: Union Station

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② ^Hang Glider

③ ^Broken Pipes

④ ~Crank It Up

⑤ *Bar Hop

⑥ Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

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

Trivia

 * During Kansas City qualifiers on this season, Rich Talavera became the oldest competitor to complete an obstacle on American Ninja Warrior (at 70 years old), beating John Loobey's record during Daytona Beach qualifiers on the same season (at 65 years old).
 * Kansas City qualifiers on this season also became only the fourth 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, San Pedro (Military) qualifiers on American Ninja Warrior 7, and Oklahoma City qualifiers on American Ninja Warrior 8).

Cleveland Qualifiers
Original Airdate: July 10th, 2017.

Taping Location: Public Square

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Rolling Log

③ ^Razor's Edge

④ *Ring Jump

⑤ ^I-Beam Gap

⑥ Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

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

Trivia

 * Cleveland qualifiers on this season became the first time in American Ninja Warrior history that two female competitors completed the city qualifiers course.

Denver Qualifiers
Original Airdate: July 17th, 2017.

Taping Location: Civic Center Park

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② *Ring Swing

③ ^Bouncing Spider

④ *Paddle Boards

⑤ ^Rail Runner

⑥ Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle

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

Trivia

 * Lorin Ball became the first competitor to clock the fastest time during city qualifiers for 4 consecutive American Ninja Warrior seasons.
 * During Denver qualifiers on this season, with 3 women qualified to city finals within top 30, this became the second largest amount of female competitors advanced to city finals within top 30 (after American Ninja Warrior 8's Philadelphia qualifiers at 4 female competitors).
 * Due to the Rail Runner, Denver qualifiers had set the lowest amount of finishers during city qualifiers on this season (with 8 finishers). This was also the second lowest amount of finishers during city qualifiers in American Ninja Warrior history (beating American Ninja Warrior 8's Philadelphia qualifiers at 9 finishers), only behind American Ninja Warrior 7's Venice Beach qualifiers (at 7 finishers).

Los Angeles Finals
Original Airdate: July 24th, 2017.

Taping Location: Universal Studios Hollywood

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Cannonball Drop

③ +Fly Wheels

④ Block Run

⑤ Battering Ram

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ ^Swinging Peg Board

⑨ Stair Hopper

⑩ ^Elevator Climb

^ - New Obstacle

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 9's City Qualifiers/Finals Course)

San Antonio Finals
Original Airdate: July 31st, 2017.

Taping Location: Bexar County Courthouse

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Tic Toc

③ Spinning Bridge

④ +Sky Hooks

⑤ +Pipefitter

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ *Hourglass Drop

⑨ ^Spinball Wizard

⑩ ^Elevator Climb

^ - New Obstacle

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

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 9's City Qualifiers/Finals Course)

Daytona Beach Finals
Original Airdate: August 7th, 2017.

Taping Location: Daytona International Speedway

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Rolling Pin

③ Wingnuts

④ Broken Bridge

⑤ Rolling Thunder

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ ^Giant Cubes

⑨ *Circuit Board

⑩ ^Elevator Climb

^ - New Obstacle

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

Cleveland Finals
Original Airdate: August 14th, 2017 (due to a scheduling conflict, NBC decided to swap the airdate with Kansas City finals).

Taping Location: Union Station

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Rolling Log

③ Razor's Edge

④ +Ring Jump

⑤ I-Beam Gap

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ ~Nail Clipper

⑨ The Clacker

⑩ ^Elevator Climb

^ - New Obstacle

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 9's City Qualifiers/Finals Course)

Kansas City Finals
Original Airdate: August 21st, 2017.

Taping Location: Public Square

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Hang Glider

③ Broken Pipes

④ +Crank It Up

⑤ Bar Hop

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ *Floating Monkey Bars

⑨ ~Iron Maiden

⑩ ^Elevator Climb

^ - New Obstacle

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

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

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 9's City Qualifiers/Finals Course)

Trivia

 * Kansas City finals on this season became:
 * The first city finals course to feature 2 fan-created obstacles (the Crank It Up and Iron Maiden),
 * The second city finals course in American Ninja Warrior history to have zero competitors finished the course (after American Ninja Warrior 8's Philadelphia finals), and
 * The third 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 Maggi Thorne for her efforts to become the first woman to complete the Crank It Up.
 * The third time where competitors who didn't reach the back half of the city finals course (i.e. the obstacles after the Warped Wall), still advanced to Las Vegas national finals, with the others being during Northeast region finals on American Ninja Warrior 4 (when the Warped Wall became the cut off) and during Venice Beach finals on American Ninja Warrior 7 (when the Hourglass Drop became the cut off).
 * Although it was just the third obstacle, the Broken Pipes had eliminated the most number of competitors than any other obstacle during Kansas City finals (at 8 competitors), followed by the Bar Hop and Floating Monkey Bars (at 7 competitors each), then Crank It Up and Salmon Ladder (at 5 competitors each), and the Floating Steps, Iron Maiden, and Elevator Climb (at 1 competitor each). The Hang Glider and Warped Wall were the only obstacles to not eliminate any competitors.

Denver Finals
Original Airdate: August 28th, 2017.

Taping Location: Civic Center Park

Obstacles
① Floating Steps

② Ring Swing

③ Bouncing Spider

④ Paddle Boards

⑤ +Rail Runner

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ The Wedge

⑨ ~Ninjago Roll

⑩ ^Elevator Climb

^ - New Obstacle

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 9's City Qualifiers/Finals Course)

Las Vegas National Finals
Unlike on the past five American Ninja Warrior seasons, for the first time ever, there was no color system to represent each qualifying city.

Stage One
Original Airdate: September 4th, 2017 & September 11th, 2017.

Obstacles
① *Snake Run

② Propeller Bar

③ ~Double Dipper

④ Jumping Spider

⑤ ^Parkour Run

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ ^Domino Pipes

⑧ Flying Squirrel

Time limit: 155 seconds.

^ - New Obstacle

~ - Fan-created Obstacle (Obstacle Design Challenge Winner)

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

Stage Two
Original Airdate: September 18th, 2017.

Obstacles
① *Giant Ring Swing

② ^Criss Cross Salmon Ladder

③ *Wave Runner

④ ^Swing Surfer

⑤ ^Wingnut Alley

⑥ *Wall Flip

Time limit: 240 seconds.

^ - New Obstacle

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

Stage Three
Original Airdate: September 18th, 2017.

Obstacles
① *Floating Boards

② *Keylock Hang

③ +Nail Clipper

④ *Ultimate Cliffhanger

⑤ Curved Body Prop

⑥ ^Peg Cloud

⑦ ^Time Bomb

⑧ Flying Bar

^ - New Obstacle

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

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 9's City Qualifiers/Finals Course)

Obstacles
① *Rope Climb (80 feet)

Time limit: Unknown.

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