With only a few days until “The Challenge” crowns its latest winner, it’s time to make our final predictions on who will take home the grand prize and who will walk away with nothing. This season, the MTV show made series history with a final that only included cast members who originally appeared on other networks. That is to say, none of the final challengers got their starts on MTV.
‘The Challenge’ Final Part 1
Last week, our final four teams embarked on a difficult final challenge that involved hiking the Andes Mountains, completing checkpoints in between long runs. Sydney Segal and Turbo Çamkıran remained in the lead for basically the entire challenge, while Theo Campbell and Adrienne Naylor spent most of their time in last place. Michaela Bradshaw and Cedric Hodges oscillated between second and third place with Olivia Kaiser and Yeremi Hykel.
At the end of the episode, “The Challenge” teased a twist: players will have the chance to stake a claim on someone else’s partner. Theo, in his confessional, debated taking the opportunity. After all, he could finish the final with his girlfriend, Olivia. If they win, they’d split a massive grand prize: $425,000.
Will Anyone Stake a Claim?
It’s possible someone will stake a claim, but the chances are slim. Sure, Theo and Olivia could win a large sum of money (which would go a long way towards supporting their new son), but if they come in fourth place, neither of them will receive any money at all. If Theo and Olivia remain on separate teams, they guarantee at least $12,500.
Sydney and Turbo will likely want to remain partners, considering how well they’ve been working together and their current position in the final. Cedric and Michaela, however, are the wild cards.
Michaela twisted her ankle early on into the final, and although she’s done a good job of pushing through the pain, Cedric may decide he’s safer finding a new partner who won’t slow him down.
Who Will Win ‘The Challenge: Vets & New Threats?’
GettySupposing no one stakes a claim and our duos remain as is, Sydney and Turbo are the most likely winners of “The Challenge: Vets & New Threats.” They’ve dominated the final part one and have remained strong individual players all season. Supposing no one gets injured and they can both remain simpatico, Turbo will likely earn another “Challenge” championship title.
Olivia and Yeremi are the second most likely to win. Although they only recently became partners, they worked well together in last week’s episode. Yeremi also brings an advantage, having hiked the Andes before. However, Olivia was unknowingly pregnant while filming, which could result in a less-than-peak physical performance. That being said, her pregnancy hasn’t slowed her down yet, and there’s no reason to assume it will later.
Cedric and Michaela have been a strong duo this season, but Michaela’s weak ankle poses a serious concern for the team’s ability to win. Even with her ability to push through the injury, it won’t be surprising if she has to move slightly slower than she would at full capacity.
Finally, Theo and Adrienne. Although they’ve crushed it all season in eliminations, their performance thus far in the final has been the weakest of the teams. Theo may have been a professional runner before competing on “The Challenge,” but his endurance this season leaves something to be desired. That being said, “Challenge” finals consist of many parts, only some of which are physical. Anyone could pull out the win this season.
