In a thrilling upset, journalist Susan Stumme from Arlington, Virginia, emerged victorious on Jeopardy!, ending the five-day reign of champion Greg Jolin. Stumme’s victory came down to a crucial Final Jeopardy! clue, where she proved to be the only contestant with the correct response.
Jolin, a system specialist and accountant from Raymond, New Hampshire, entered the game with a formidable five-day winning streak and a total of $135,002 in winnings. While he maintained a strong lead throughout much of the game, a late surge by bartender and private tutor Sammy Sanchez from Kansas City, Missouri, tightened the competition going into Final Jeopardy!.
The final clue, focusing on 1960s inventions, asked contestants to identify a lifesaving polymer initially used to reinforce radial tires, known by its more common name. Stumme correctly answered “What is Kevlar?,” wagering $3,000 to bring her final score to $12,600. Jolin, who incorrectly answered, dropped to $5,199, while Sanchez also missed the mark, finishing with $399.
The game was marked by several lead changes, particularly in Double Jeopardy!, where Sanchez and Jolin battled back and forth on top-row clues. Sanchez, however, missed an opportunity to solidify his lead when he wagered conservatively on a Daily Double.
An all-in wager would have likely secured his position going into Final Jeopardy!. He also arguably made a strategic error by continuing to select clues from the same category after finding a Daily Double, potentially missing out on discovering the final Daily Double hidden elsewhere on the board.
