Jeopardy! Friday Finale Sees Champion Olson Secure Win with “Kazakhstan” Response

Lead On September 19, 2025, during the Friday episode of Jeopardy! in Los Angeles, Illinois band director Steven Olson clinched victory by correctly answering “What is Kazakhstan?” in Final Jeopardy!, outpacing reigning champion Paolo Pasco and challenger Hebah Uddin.

Nut Graf In a dramatic season-42 contest, a “Slogans” clue about a tourism tagline turned the tide late in the game, underscoring the strategic betting that defines Jeopardy!’s signature round and cementing Olson’s first win of the season.

Key Moments

  • Category and Clue: Final Jeopardy! fell under “Slogans” with the prompt: “After adopting ‘Very Nice’ in tourism ads, an official of this country said, its people, ‘jokes to the contrary, are some of the nicest.’”
  • Wagers and Responses:
    • Olson wagered $2,202 and responded correctly.
    • Pasco risked $7,601 and also answered correctly but remained behind.
    • Uddin’s wager of $2,000 was lost on an incorrect response.
  • Final Scores:
    • Steven Olson: $19,602
    • Paolo Pasco: $17,401
    • Hebah Uddin: $2,600

Game Breakdown Jeopardy! Round

  • Categories included U.S. Territories, Quick Chem, From the Video Game Manual, Ancient Eating, Swap a Letter, Broadway.
  • Pasco led with $4,400; Uddin and Olson trailed at $2,400 and $1,800 respectively.

Double Jeopardy! Round

  • Categories featured The Bronze Age, Villains in Lit, 14-Letter Words, Let’s Go to the Park, Album Title Adjectives, Your Prime Number’s Up.
  • Olson found both Daily Doubles, adding $6,000 to climb into second place heading into Final.

Final Jeopardy!

  • Clue Category: Slogans
  • Clue Text: After adopting “Very Nice” in tourism ads, an official of this country said, its people, “jokes to the contrary, are some of the nicest.”
  • Correct Response: “What is Kazakhstan?”

Significance Olson’s win marks his debut victory of the season, achieved through a calculated wager and precise recall of modern tourism campaigns. Pasco, with an eight-day winning streak, will return Monday aiming to surpass $200,000 in career earnings.