“American Ninja Warrior” contestant Taylor Greene is bringing her A game to the first stage of the finals in Las Vegas, ready to build on her winning streak as the first female to hit the buzzer this season.
In an exclusive clip of Monday’s episode shared with TheWrap, the 15-year-old from Broomfield, Colorado, prepares for the elaborate challenge ahead of her, hoping to set a brand new record.
“I’m definitely a little nervous, but I would say I’m more excited because I feel like I’ve already proven myself and my abilities,” Greene said in the clip. “I’m absolutely ready to become the young women to ever hit a Stage 1 buzzer.”
As Greene gets ready to take the stage, her friends and family line the crowd cheering her on, including 2023 “American Ninja Warrior” reigning women’s champion Katie Bone, who could be dethroned by Greene.
With 2 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock, the commentators note that only three women in history have completed Stage 1, including Jessie Graff, Allyssa Beird and Jesse “Flex” Labreck.
Greene, who first began competing on all three seasons of “American Ninja Warrior Junior” when she was about 4-foot-10, earned the nickname Sweet Ninja Girl, which stands as her social media handles to this day. Host Akbar Gbaja-Biamila instead nicknamed her “Mean Taylor Greene.”
“When she’s up here she’s mean, lean, hostile [and] highly motivated,” Gbaja-Biamila explained in the clip.
After completing the giant rollercoaster, which saw Greene taking a sixty foot dive down the rails, the hosts noted that she is still “on time” for a buzzer.
The contestant hits a rough spot when it comes to the jumping spider, however, as her “tentative” performance threatens her place as a finalist as it “eat[s] up a lot of time and energy,” according to the hosts.
Ultimately, however, Greene falls into the water with just 20 seconds left. Despite the devastating blow, the hosts applaud her for giving “the best performance of any woman on Stage 1 this season.”
New episodes of “American Ninja Warrior” premiere Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with the Season 15 Finale airing Monday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
