straightaway with their own giant medicine balls to throw at them. The producers decided to change the layout of the course shortly after the season started and removed the gauntlet. The contenders now had to climb over one additional wall, which was also padded and had ropes attached to it to aid the contenders, and the short hurdle at the front of the straightaway was removed and replaced by the stepped wall. Once past the straightaway, the contenders climbed over one final hurdle and from there had a short run to the end of the course, with the first contender to break through a piece of yellow tape and cross the finish line winning the match and advancing in the tournament In season three, the distance between the final hurdle and the finish was short enough to allow for contenders to make desperate leaps to try to cross the line first; it also was possible for a contender to win without breaking the tape so long as some portion of their body crossed over the line first. This happened in the men’s Grand Championship match during that same season, as eventual champion Mark Ortega vaulted over the final hurdle just as runner-up Joseph Mauro went to break the tape; Ortega landed on the floor with his arm across the line just before Mauro was able to break through and was declared the winner after a replay review. In season four, the sequence following the zipline returned to using one wall; this wall was made of Plexiglas and would be used for the remainder of the series. Season four also saw the return of the gauntlet as an obstacle; this time, a series of blocking pads were attached to poles that swung back and forth with handles operated by two Gladiators. The final hurdle was set back further from the finish line, making it extremely difficult for contenders to make the desperation leaps they were able to make in season three. 1993–96 In keeping with the aesthetic overhaul AG went through at the start of its fifth season, the Eliminator too was given a makeover inspired by the British Gladiators course in use at the time. While most of the course remained the same, three new obstacles were added in season five and a fourth in season seven. In seasons five and six, the Gladiators' involvement was limited to "enforcing" the