ELIMINATOR
OBJECTIVE
The Eliminator was the final event of every show. After a series of games against the Gladiators, the Contenders finally go head-to-head in the Eliminator which is a gruelling obstacle course spanning across the whole of the Arena floor.
Against the clock, the Contender who has the most points (from the prior events against the Gladiators) has a headstart. Each point above the score of the rival Contender is worth half a second head start.
Contenders have to vault over and scramble under three beams, bounce on a trampet and climb a 20-foot cargo net, climb a rope up to the overhead ladder for women, or the handbike for men (both 20 feet), cross a trapeze, climb another cargo net to an aerial platform, fly 90 feet down a zip line to the Arena floor and then cross two 16-foot see-saws to the piece of equipment which the whole show is won or lost - the strength-sapping Travelator. After a successful run, the Contenders then grab their rope and swing through the paper burst.
FACTS
The Eliminator course layout changed various times over the years.
In 1992 (Series 1) the course consisted of a cargo net, slide, scramble sheet, hand ladder (women) / overhead bike (men), rolling beams, another cargo net, zip-line, Travelator, rope swing finish.
In 1993 (Series 2) the course was high and low beams (2 of each), rope climb, hand ladder (women) / overhead bike (men), rolling beams, cargo net, zip-line, balance beam, Travelator and rope swing finish. This layout was used until then end of the 1995 series (Series 4).
In 1996 (Series 5), the start of the course was changed with 2 high and only 1 low beam, a maze of elastic wires known as Spaghetti Junction, then the rope climb. The remaining part of the course stayed the same.
In 1997 (Series 6), the course was changed again and consisted of: 2 High and 1 low beam, trampet and double sided small cargo net, rope climb, hand ladder (for women) / overhead bike (for men), two trapezes, cargo net, zip-line, two see-saws (in which the contender must touch the end of the see-saw or have to restart it), Travelator and a rope swing finish.
The Eliminator was the only event to appear in every episode of Gladiators.
It was the only event in which no Gladiators appeared.
In 1994 (Series 3), the paper burst changed from being solid black paper with the Gladiators 'G' logo to black paper with grid style holes.
In 1992 (Series 1) the four highest scoring Eliminator winners (out of six) advanced to the next round. In 1993 (Series 2) this format was changed and the winner of the Eliminator automatically advanced to the next round.
Twice during the series, only one Contender ran the course due to an injury to their competitor (1996, Series 5, Southern Heat 4 and 1997, Series 6, Heat 4).
In the 1997 (Series 6) Celebrity vs Jockeys special, the Eliminator was run as a relay race between the two teams with the five team members each doing a certain part of the course.
In the 1999 Battle of the Gladiators show, the Eliminator was played with Gladiator against Gladiator race. Hunter was crowned the Champion, with Ace as the runner-up.
