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The Titans Games’ third episode put power on the front burner

It was all about asking more from the competitors’ bodies.

By Nikki Lee
Vivian Zink/NBC

The latest episode of The Titan Games was all about pure power. A new challenge was best suited for the physically biggest competitors we’ve seen so far. We’ve not even sure it would be possible for lighter competitors to accomplish without adjustments. When an old injury was seriously aggravated on Mount Olympus, we saw the power that comes from stubbornly refusing to stay down.

Reigning Titans

  • Christopher Watts returned from Afghanistan, where he works in private security, to take part in this competition. He wasn’t going to squander the opportunity and charged to a drastic lead on Mount Olympus.
  • Jess Griffith pulled off a come-from-behind finish on Heavy Metal. The exhausting challenge still left her with enough energy to tear through the final battle.

Can’t miss moments

  • Herculean Pull

The match between Ashley Huhn and Jasmin Guinn really let us see the beauty of this challenge. Ashley and Jasmin both ended up lunging for the same first pole, locking them into war immediately. After a moment, Jasmin strategized and gave up that pole to take on another. When it happened again, Jasmin immediately dropped that challenge and jumped to the next pole over. Through this time management, she reached the golden pole first, executing a huge haul that gave her a noticeable advantage. Ashley clung on till the last inch, but Jasmin had this one.

  • Atlas Smash

The night’s new challenge was 100% based in brute strength. Frank’s enthusiasm knocked him off his feet at the start, but once he got the hammer going, there was no turning back. It looked like he barely cracked the first boulder before he cranked it to the top of the structure. This tactic did leave him drained on the second boulder. After one failed attempt to lift it, he chipped the ball down to its core, like taking bites out of an apple. Maximus, while making progress, was simply outpaced.

  • Mount Olympus

Jasmin Guinn faced an almost insurmountable extra obstacle during this challenge against Jess Griffith. A fall on The Cliffs looked like it might have triggered the knee injury that ended Jasmin’s basketball career. She laid on the mats, clutching her knee while Jess made consistent progress. Jasmin wasn’t going to go quietly though. She pulled herself up and finished The Cliffs and the Torch Crank without putting weight on that leg. Jess was the clear winner but Jasmin still lowered herself down The Descent. Her tenacious and resolute progress earned a call out and a hug from Dwayne Johnson.

Vivian Zink/NBC

Full recap

You can find an explanation of the challenges at the end of this article.

Challenge one: Heavy Metal

The competitors:

  • Christopher Watts: 33 year old Army veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart in Iraq after a roadside bomb killed his friend
  • Josh Ingraham: A chef at Boston Celics and Bruins’ games. After gaining weight, he began getting up at 4 am to run 3.5 miles to the gym and has since been in Men’s Health Magazine.

Winner: Christopher Watts

Challenge two: Herculean Pull

The competitors:

  • Ashley Huhn: 28 year old special education teacher and former college soccer star
  • Jasmin Guinn: 23 year old graphics animator. A knee injury ended her college basketball career.

Winner: Jasmine Guinn

Challenge three: Heavy Metal

The competitors:

  • Jess Griffith: 27 year old nutritionist and nurse who spends 30 hours a week in the gym
  • Erin Lavoie: 36 year old who is a three-time world champion with the ax in the Lumberjack Games

Winner: Jess Griffith

Challenge four: Atlas Smash

The competitors:

  • Frank Sansonetti: 40 year old, 6’3” New York firefighter for the past 15 years with seven year old twins
  • Maximus Okoye: 26 year old, 6’7”, Ivy League graduate from Nigeria

Winner: Frank Sansonetti

Mount Olympus

Frank Sansonetti vs Christopher Watts

Frank led until he stumbled on Rolling Ascent and never recovered. In fact, he never made it past the obstacle while Christopher finished the challenge uncontested.

Titan: Christopher Watts

Jess Griffith vs Jasmin Guinn

When Jasmin fell while trying to complete The Cliffs, she looked to be seriously injured. This allowed Jess to have a strong lead to the finish. Although Jasmin needs to be acknowledged for her effort to try to complete the challenge.

Titan: Jess Griffith

Next episode: Thursday, January 24

Herculean Pull

Out leverage an opponent you can’t see. Athletes must yank out two, 100 lb silver poles that are each longer than a pickup truck. They then must try to remove the golden pole tug-of-war style, while bracing themselves nine feet off the ground.

Hammering Ram

Slam a 10 lb hammer against a metal plate until it triggers the release of a 350 lb ram. Use the ram to break through the giant doors and pull the handle first.

Uprising

Use your momentum and body weight to slam through five solid levels with a 40 lb anvil attached to the body by a harness and pulley. Get through all five levels to provide enough distance to pull the ring.

Power Vault

Use a pole to span five, 15 foot gaps. Push over weight equivalent to three washing machines to free the golden pole. Traverse back using that pole, and then climb the pole to the finishing handle.

Cyclone

Spin a 60 lb suspended wrecking ball over your head. Gain momentum to knock down five pillars that are nearly two stories tall.

Heavy Metal

Drag 350 lbs of chain up a 30 feet tall ramp. At the top, place the bar into a crank and lift a weight consistent with a ride-on mower about three stories in the air.

Lunar Impact

Athletes race to a ladder and climb to a platform 30 feet in the air. They must then slam into the sliding wall, pushing until one opponent is shoved off the edge.

Tower Drop

Competitors scale a 30 foot tower, pulling out seven, 15 foot long poles along the way. At the top, they must free the golden pole which is trapped under a 50 lb ball. Whoever drops the ball first, and pulls the chain at the top of their tower, wins.

Atlas Smash

Use a 10 lb hammer to smash chunks off two 350 lb stones. When the stones are light enough, use a rope to haul them 25 feet in the air.

Vortex

Use fluid motions, your legs and upper body, to pull chains that will raise a 24 foot chain tower into the air. After it’s up, climb the tower and be the first to pull the handle.

Off The Rails

Competitors pull themselves down a 60 foot rail on a 200 lb sled, collecting 50 lb rails along the way. By the time they reach the end, they’re pulling 600 lbs. They then must pull themselves back using a rope and anchor they have to toss over the ties to gain leverage.

Mount Olympus

Obstacles:

  • 1000 lb wall push
  • Gates of Olympus: Push 450 lbs worth of gate at a 25 degree angle
  • Rolling Ascent: Climb six spinning cylinders, each wider than a Redwood tree
  • The Cliffs: Punch and kick through a wall to build your own ladder to the top
  • Torch Crank: Churn a crank connected to a 600 lb tower until it lights
  • The Descent: Jump over three walls to access the slides behind them
  • Ball and chain: Drag a 250 lb boulder connected to a sledgehammer to the Titan Tomb. Use the hammer to smash open the tomb, find your relic and rush to fit it in its lock, where Johnson awaits.

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