The Amazing Race eliminated "Beach Volleyball Partners" Katie Seamon and Rachel Johnston during Sunday night's broadcast of the seventeenth edition's fifth episode.

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Katie and Rachel became the fourth team eliminated from the around-the-world competition.

"Katie was the best partner I could ever ask for, and I can't think of anybody else that could run the Race as good as her... I wanted to race forever," Rachel said.

"It was a great experience. We saw so much that we'd never seen before and I'm happy that we did it together," Katie replied.

"Yeah, me too," Rachel added.

The Amazing Race's fifth seventeenth-season episode began with the Race's eight remaining teams leaving the course's fourth Pit Stop in Sweden.

Since they had been the first team to arrive at the Pit Stop in Sweden, "Doctors/Friends" Nat Strand and Kat Chang were the first team to depart at 6:00AM.

They were then followed by "Father/Daughter" Gary Ervin and Mallory Ervin at 6:04AM, "Home Shopping Hosts" Brook Roberts and Claire Champlin at 6:05AM, "Father/Son" Michael Wu and Kevin Wu at 6:30AM, "Dating Couple" Jill Haney and Thomas Wolfard at 6:48AM, "Dating Couple" Nick DeCarlo and Vicki Casciola at 7:11AM, and "Newly Dating Couple" Chad Waltrip and Stephanie Smith at 8:12AM.

Katie and Rachel were the last team to depart at 8:34AM.

Upon opening their departure clues, the teams were instructed to drive across the Swedish border to a gondola station in Narvish, Norway and then ride to the top of the mountain.

Katie and Rachel didn't seem to mind their position despite starting the leg in last place.

"I kind of think it's easier being last because you're just playing catch up now," Katie told Rachel.

"Why?" Rachel asked Katie.

"When you're in the front I feel like there's more anxiety -- I think we're going to catch them," Katie replied.

Meanwhile, Nat and Kat managed to maintain their position and arrive at the gondola station in first place.  After taking a ride to the top of the mountain, Nat and Kat received a clue that gave them the option of completing a Fast Forward that would allow them to skip the leg's remaining stops or making their way to Skjombrua Bridge, where they would find their next clue.

Since they were the first team to arrive at the cluebox, Nat and Kat immediately opted to go for the Fast Forward, which required them to drive to a restaurant and "participate in a traditional Norwegian Christmas ritual."

Brook and Claire were the second team to arrive at the gondola station were followed by Gary and Mallory, Michael and Kevin, Jill and Thomas, Nick and Vicki, Chad and Stephanie, and Katie and Rachel.

With the exception of Nick and Vicki -- who didn't seem to understand that only the first team to complete the Fast Forward would get to skip to the end of the leg -- all of the other teams opted not to go for the Fast Forward.

"It's taken, so I don't know what that means. Does that mean they already did it? I didn't know if that means it's taken for right now or if it's just taken period. -- Don't really know what [taken] means," Vicki asked after the couple found a "Fast Forward Taken" sign on the restaurant door later.

However Nick and Vicki weren't the only ones surprised by the Fast Forward, since after arriving at the restaurant Nat and Kat learned they would each have to eat half of a roasted sheep's head to complete the "traditional" ritual.

Kat, a vegetarian, hadn't eaten meat in 22 years, but the women still managed to get through the challenge. And after completing the task, they received a clue which told them to drive to Ankenes Marina, a former World War II military stronghold which would serve as the Race's fifth Pit Stop.

"Do you want to get sick now?" Nat joked.

"No, let's go to the Pit Stop -- We'll take care of that after," Kat responded.

Meanwhile, back at the gondola station, the teams proceeded to Skjombrua Bridge, where they discovered a Roadblock which required one member of each team to step off the deck of the bridge and rappel 130 feet to the water and wait for a boat to bring them their next clue.

After receiving their clue, the teams would then have to use a mechanical ascender to climb back to the bridge deck.

Michael and Kevin were the first team to arrive at the Roadblock and were followed by Gary and Mallory, Brook and Claire, Jill and Thomas, Nick and Vicki, Chad and Stephanie, and finally Katie and Rachel.

Kevin, Gary, Claire, Thomas, Vicki, Chad and Katie opted to do the Roadblock for their teams.

While Thomas was able to use his prior rappelling experience to speed through the challenge, Claire found it difficult to finish her accent and finally told Brook -- who was hollering support and praise -- to shut up.

"I know you're tired but you gotta fight through it," Brook yelled. "Claire just breathe. Take a nice breath."

"Brook, shut up!" Claire replied.

Brook continued to shout that Claire should do it for her grandma who had recently passed away.

Michael and Kevin were the first team to complete the Roadblock.  They were followed by Gary and Mallory, Jill and Thomas, Brook and Claire, Nick and Vicki, and Chad and Stephanie. Katie and Rachel remained in last.

After finishing the Roadblock, the teams were instructed to drive to a remote field in the Harvika region, where they would find their next clue.

Since Nat and Kat had been able to skip the leg's remaining tasks and advance directly to the Pit Stop, Michael and Kevin were the first team to arrive at the field and were followed by Jill and Thomas, Gary and Mallory, Brook and Claire, Nick and Vicki, Chad and Stephanie, and Katie and Rachel.

Once at the field, the teams learned it was time for them to complete one of two Detour tasks: "Bike" or "Boat."

"Bike" required the teams to ride mountain bikes across a grueling course to a sign that contained the four-digit combination for a bicycle lock they had selected, and then memorize the combination lock and drive back to the start of the course and open their lock to retrieve their next clue.

"Boat" required the teams to board fishing trawlers and then use a reference map to direct a captain to a shoreline area. After disembarking the boat, they would then have to delivery two large cod and a chainsaw up a hill to a waiting resident.

Michael and Kevin, Brook and Claire, Chad and Stephanie, and Katie and Rachel chose the "Boat" task while Jill and Thomas, Gary and Mallory, and Nick and Vicki opted for the "Bike" task. 

Jill and Thomas completed the Detour first and were followed by Gary and Mallory, Michael and Kevin, Brook and Claire, Nick and Vicki, Chad and Stephanie, and Katie and Rachel.

In addition, Brooke and Claire's "kiss count" grew to seven when they kissed the resident after completing their delivery.

After completing their Detour tasks, the teams were instructed to drive to the Pit Stop at Ankenes Marina.

Since they had completed the Fast Forward, Nat and Kat were the first team to arrive at the Pit Stop and be checked-in by The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan. As a reward, they won a five-night trip to Costa Rica.

Gary and Mallory were the second team to arrive to arrive at the Pit Stop -- just as they had been for last week's challenge -- and were followed by Brooke and Claire.

However, Brooke did not finish the leg unharmed as she cut her eye on the door getting out of her team's SUV after they arrived at the marina.

Michael and Kevin were the fourth team to find the marina and check-in at the Pit Stop but only arrived after they got lost and ended up returning to Skjombrua Bridge, where they saw Katie and Rachel completing the Roadblock task.

Jill and Thomas arrived at the Pit Stop in fifth place.  Like Michael and Kevin, they had also gotten lost and returned to Skjombrua Bridge -- where Rachel saw them and assumed they hadn't done the Roadblock yet and were actually behind the women.

Nick and Vicki arrived at the Pit Stop in sixth place after believing they were finishing in second place -- leaving Chad and Stephanie and Katie and Rachel to compete for the final elimination slot.

However given their earlier start on task, Chad and Stephanie were able to complete the "Boat" task and reach the Pit Stop ahead of Katie and Rachel.

"Katie and Rachel, you are the last team to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the Race," Phil said.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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