NOME, Alaska — In his second season on “American Ninja Warrior,” Nick Hanson has advanced to the Los Angeles City Finals. The Unalakleet athlete qualified with a top-15 finish last week, and now he’ll compete for a spot in the National Finals.
“I came into this season with a little bit more focus,” he said. “You can see it on the show — I’m really pumped up. I’m more game-face and more into it. I mean, words can’t describe how pumped-up I still am.”
Hanson completed the obstacle course in 4 minutes and 44 seconds for a 13th-place finish. He said he felt motivated by memories of last season, when he fell to 31st-place and missed the qualifying round by just three-tenths of a second.
“I think that lit a fire in me to say, ‘Okay, I failed. The best thing to do after you fail is to get right back up and keep doing it,’” he said. “I wanted to make sure the kids around here got to see me come back and do something better.”
In an upcoming episode, Hanson said viewers can watch him take on an even harder course with new obstacles. His goal is to post another strong finish and advance to the national competition in Las Vegas.
“American Ninja Warrior” airs Monday nights on Channel 2.
