Each season, the finals get longer and harder. Challengers are pushed to the edge, but sometimes, this push is too much.
Many competitors have suffered injuries due to these grueling and difficult finals. As a result, we’ve seen people get disqualified, or in some cases, push through their pain. Occasionally this was worth the effort, but usually, they’re just left with a nasty scar.
These injuries are some of the most infamous moments on the show, but this list will only grow if the finals keep getting longer.
Cara Maria Tears the Skin Around Her Ankle (War of the Worlds 2)
You may not know about this injury, but eagle-eyed fans may have noticed some of the finalists on War ofthe Worlds 2 were bandaged after the last sprint. Apparently, the chains were painfully tight, to the point where it caused cutting and scratching. Cara Maria shared that this caused a massive infection in her ankle, rendering her unable to walk for over a week. Perhaps there was some benefit to getting purged before the last lap of this final.
Sarah & Abram Get Dehydrated (Cutthroat)
While dehydration might not be the type of “injury” you immediately think of, it can be lethal in a final. Sarah and Abram (and potentially Emily) faced nausea due to a lack of water during Cutthroat’s final. The funny thing? This is allegedly the Red Team’s fault. Brad, Tori, Tyler, and Dunbar were the first people to the hydration station after the Down and Dirty checkpoint, and they used the water to clean sawdust off their bodies — contaminating it for everyone else. So, the gray and blue teams had a few water bottles but were left with the bare minimum.
Ultimately, Abe and Sarah are the ones who take the blame because an ambulance took them away.
Nicole Rolls Her Ankle (Vendettas)
If you want to do well in a final, learn to run in awkward terrains. Nicole rolled her ankle multiple times during the Vendettas final because she was speeding through unstable mud. At first, it was a burden, and it didn’t stop her from talking shit. Eventually, the pain got the best of her and she tapped out. Some people call this karma, but the final really was poorly planned.
Melinda Sprains Her Ankle (All Stars 2)
On All Stars 2, Melinda finally got to the final. She was full steam ahead, but her ankle couldn’t keep up. While running through the Mexican forest, she twisted an ankle and was forced to take it easy. Fortunately, she was able to complete the final, but the injury persisted. She reinjured herself during All Stars 3 and had to leave that competition.
Bayleigh Hurts Her Knee (Total Madness)
Snow and speed are two things that can lead to serious mistakes. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that someone got hurt during the Total Madness final. Fortunately, Bayleigh only sprained her knee and was able to recover from the injury, but it did cost her the competition and she elected to leave the final before the second day.
Kaycee Reptures Her Patellar Tendon (Double Agents)
Once again, uneven terrain can be blamed for this injury. While running during the Double Agents final, Kaycee slipped and hurt her leg. She hobbled along until she got purged out, but there was no way production would have let her continue further. She required surgery in her knee, and many people praise her for her persistence despite the injury. The same can’t be said for her partner Faysal.
Coral’s Spider Bite (The Gauntlet)
In the early days of The Challenge, this was the controversy during a final. Apparently, Coral was bitten by a spider prior to beginning the race, and it caused an allergic reaction. As the final progressed, breathing became harder and Coral became more delirious. Eventually, she was taken away by medics, but The Real World stood a great shot at winning this final if the spider bite never happened.
Eric Collapses (The Gauntlet 3)
During the middle era of The Challenge, this was the controversy during a final. No veteran male wanted to risk their stake in the game by facing Eric in a Gauntlet, so they were stuck with him in the final. But, Big Easy couldn’t move at the pace of the team. Eventually, exhaustion and dehydration caught up with him. He collapsed, was taken away by medics, and this disqualified the whole team from the final because teams had to finish as a cohesive unit.
Olivia Breaks Her Nose (Ride or Dies)
This week, we saw the bloodiest injury we’ve ever witnessed during a final. Olivia started off by slicing her finger open after it got caught on a bola, but that was the least of her worries. The real issue was when a golf ball got caught in her slingshot and fired backward. It hit her in the face, broke her nose, and caused her to get DQed from the final. This also resulted in Horacio leaving, but Olivia did everything in her power to be successful in this final.
Jordan Breaks His Leg (Dirty Thirty)
I have no idea why production just allowed this final to continue, let alone how Jordan continued to run it, but he literally fell from the sky due to a parachute malfunction on Dirty Thirty. This caused a fracture in his leg, and while it’s not as bloody as Olivia’s nose, the pain should not be understated. And in the end, he won this final, proving how determined he was for the victory.
Stop Being Polite 