Hopefully, he can do 5 things today:
1. Win his 8th game.
2. Become the #1 seed.
3. Get his 8th century.
4. Try and get above 900 points.
5. Be in the lead at the end of every round to have a perfect 120/120 record, which I'm fairly sure no-one has ever done
Will he do any/all of these
Let's find out Enjoy. 
Countdown recap for Wednesday 2 September 2015.
C1: Champion Jonathan Wynn (7 wins, 793 points.) An Apteforumite and maths teacher from Oxford.
C2: Challenger Hannah Short. A teaching assistant from Tunstall, Staffordshire. She plays netball, has climbed Mount Olympus and has done a triathlon. Her favourite TV show is Peppa Pig, as it gives her some rest while her son watches it.
DC: Susie Dent and Greg Rusedski.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T L N E A I O R V
R02: S U W G E T H A I
R03: 100, 10, 5, 8, 7, 6. Target: 250.
TTT: RANGLILY - "Make this call when driving in the mud, perhaps?"
R04: S D R A O L P E N
R05: T F M I E A S P J
R06: 75, 3, 2, 4, 7, 7. Target: 930.
R07: T K S O E O W G R
R08: A F D I S N E C L
R09: 75, 7, 2, 7, 3, 2. Target: 409.
TTT: EATSLEAN - "He never eats lean meat, so this pulls in the fat"
R10: R S U A D B Y I T
R11: M V H A E O D L T
R12: N P M A E R T U M
R13: S G D E I O E P R
R14: 25, 9, 1, 3, 9, 5. Target: 383.
R15: W O R D T H I N G (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: T L N E A I O R V
Jonathan: RELATION (8)
Hannah: ELATION (7)
DC: INTERVAL (8) NET (3) LOVE (4)
OT: ORIENTAL (8) OVERLAIN (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Ouchy, so cruel on Hannah there, as Jonathan now reaches 106/106 consecutive rounds in the lead in a row, overtaking Jen Steadman's record from Series 69. (She did however lead in 119/120 rounds, so for the outright record, Jonathan will have to go for a full house
)Round 2: S U W G E T H A I
Jonathan: WEIGHTS (7)
Hannah: WASTE (5)
Score: 15–0 (max 15)
A brilliant darrenic 7 from Jonathan, and he's starting to show his authority already. (He clearly wants that 120/120.
)Round 3: 100, 10, 5, 8, 7, 6. Target: 250.
Jonathan: 250. (100 x 10) / (6 - (7 - 5)) (10)
Hannah: 250. (100 x 5) / (10 - 8) (10)
Score: 25–10 (max 25)
Well, 250 sounded easy, but Jonathan especially seemed to want to go over the top to get the answer.
Teatime teaser: RANGLILY -> RALLYING
Round 4: S D R A O L P E N
Jonathan: PERSONAL (8)
Hannah: PARDONS (7)
DC: LEOPARDS (8) PADRONES (8)
OT: LADRONES (8) OPERANDS (8) PRELOADS (8) PSORALEN (8) SOLANDER (8) SPANDREL (8)
Score: 33–10 (max 33)
This time, it's definitely PERSONAL for Jonathan.
A LADRONE is a highwayman or pirate in Spain or Spanish America.
PSORALEN is a compound present in certain plants which is used in perfumery and (in combination with ultraviolet light) to treat psoriasis and other skin disorders.
A SOLANDER is a protective box made in the form of a book, for holding such items as botanical specimens, maps, papers, etc.
A SPANDREL is the almost triangular space between one side of the outer curve of an arch, a wall, and the ceiling or framework.
Round 5: T F M I E A S P J
Jonathan: PASTIME (7)
Hannah: STAMP (5)
DC: FIESTA (6)
Score: 40–10 (max 40)
Clearly playing Countdown is a PASTIME of Jonathan's.
Round 6: 75, 3, 2, 4, 7, 7. Target: 930.
Jonathan: 930. ((7 x 2) + 4 + 75) x (7 + 3) (10)
Hannah: 921.
Score: 50–10 (max 50)
A superb method from Jonathan, even if he almost suggested that 7 x 2 = 4.......
Greg talks about his hardest opponent to beat during his career, the 2001 Wimbledon champion, Goran Ivanišević.
Round 7: T K S O E O W G R
Jonathan: STOOGE (6)
Hannah: STROKE (6)
DC: TOWERS (6) TWERKS (6)
OT: ERGOTS (6) RETOOK (6) STOKER (6) TOKERS (6) WOOERS (6)
Score: 56–16 (max 56)
6's all over, which gives Hannah her first points from a letters round today.
Round 8: A F D I S N E C L
Jonathan: FANCIED (7)
Hannah: CLEANS (6)
DC: CANDIES (7) FIANCES (7) CANDLES (7)
OT: CALENDS (7) DECANIS (7) DENIALS (7) FANCIES (7) FASCINE (7) FINALES (7) INCASED (7) SANICLE (7) SCALENI (7)
Score: 63–16 (max 63)
Jonathan must be highly-FANCIED now. But, how about a MAX GAME from him
CALENDS is the first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar.
The DECANI is the section of a church or cathedral choir conventionally placed on the south side and taking the first or higher part in antiphonal singing.
FASCINE are a bundle of rods or plastic pipes bound together, used in construction or military operations for filling in marshy ground or other obstacles and for strengthening the sides of embankments, ditches, or trenches.
A SANICLE is plant of the parsley family which has burr-like fruit. (Genus Sanicula, family Umbelliferae)
A SCALENUS (plural SCALENI) is any of several muscles extending from the neck to the first and second ribs.
Round 9: 75, 7, 2, 7, 3, 2. Target: 409.
Jonathan: 410. (3 + 2) x (75 + 7) (7)
Hannah: 402.
RR: 409. ((75 + 7) x (7 - 2)) - (3 - 2) (10)
Score: 70–16 (max 73)
Me and my big mouth............
(If it makes him feel any better, I made the same mistake.......)Teatime teaser: EATSLEAN -> ELASTANE
Round 10: R S U A D B Y I T
Jonathan: ABSURDITY (18)
Hannah: BRAIDS (6)
DC: BUSTARD (7)
Score: 88–16 (max 91)
WOAH! WOAH!! WOAH!!! While watching this in the audience, I was actually waiting for L and Y to come out for ABSURDLY, but when Y, I and T came out instead, I was even more amazed
Round 11: M V H A E O D L T
Jonathan: LOATHED (7)
Hannah: METHOD (6)
Score: 95–16 (max 98)
JONATHAN IS NOW AN OCTOCHAMP!!!!
He's also got the #1 seeding, and the 120/120 record to boot. Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "dragon".
Round 12: N P M A E R T U M
Jonathan: TEMPURA (7)
Hannah: TAMPER (6)
DC: PUTAMEN (7)
Score: 102–16 (max 105)
And he's got the 8th century in his bag too
Round 13: S G D E I O E P R
Jonathan: PODGIER (7)
Hannah: PRESIDE (7)
DC: PERIODS (7) REPOSED (7)
OT: EPISODE (7) PODGERS (7) PORGIES (7)
Score: 109–23 (max 112)
And being PODGIER yet again takes him past the 900 mark as well
A PODGER is a short bar of iron or steel used as a lever, especially for tightening a box spanner.
Round 14: 25, 9, 1, 3, 9, 5. Target: 383.
Jonathan: 383. (25 x 5 x 3) + 9 - 1 (10)
Hannah: 383. (25 x 5 x 3) + 9 - 1 (10)
Score: 119–33 (max 122)
Simple numbers game puts Jonathan in position for a second 14-MAXER of the week
Round 15: W O R D T H I N G
Jonathan buzzes on 15.75 seconds to say DOWNRIGHT which is correct.
Final Score: 129–33 (max 132)
Well, it's his 2nd slowest conundrum solve of his run, but that makes little to no difference, as he posts his 2nd highest score of his octorun to take him to the summit of the leaderboard
A total of 922 points is outstanding by anyone's standards, but after seeking redemption from what happened 5 years ago, I was so, so happy for Jonathan while supporting him in the audience, as was everyone else who was there, I can tell you.
There are still plenty of decent Apterites coming up in this series, including Tom Carey and James Rowan. But, tomorrow, it's Matty Artell's turn (I'm bet he's glad he avoided Jonathan!!).
Will he do as well, I wonder.......
Join me next week, when hopefully he'll still be around.
Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Jonathan:
Total score - 129
Raw score - 129
Total % of max - 98
Raw % of max - 98
Total average score per round - 8.6
Raw average score per round - 8.6
Number of maxes - 14
Hannah:
Total score - 33
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 25
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 2.2
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73
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