Today’s Final Jeopardy Answer, November 24, 2025, Monday

Jeopardy! Game 56 of Season 42 unfolded on Monday, November 24, 2025. Harrison Whitaker came back as the defending champion, looking for his 10th win. Two new people were going up against him. Harrison was eager to join a select group of players, so the episode held a lot of weight. 

The Final Jeopardy! question was in the category of Sports History. The clue read: "He wasn't yet a U.S. citizen when he was named an All-American & won 2 Olympic gold medals for the country." The correct response was "Who is Jim Thorpe?"

A glimpse of Jeopardy Episode from November 24, 2025, Monday

Before the episode started, a lot of excitement was buzzing. Harrison Whitaker wanted to come in first place 10 times. With this win, he would become the 19th player to win at least 10 regular games. Two people ran against him: Michael Kavanagh and Shannon Lawinger. Harrison had just won an easy $50,000 game the day before.

Jeopardy! Round

The first round staged the competition. Michael Kavanagh, a school principal, and Shannon Lawinger, a publishing editor, tried to keep pace with the returning champion. Michael Kavanagh is originally from Woodhaven, New York. Shannon Lawinger hails from West Newton, Massachusetts. Three players got many clues right. They showed their breadth of knowledge in many categories.

Double Jeopardy Round

In Double Jeopardy!, the intensity increased. This round has higher prizes and two Daily Doubles. These are crucial spots for contestants to gain or lose strong leads. In previous games, Harrison used quick-play. He excels when he doesn't overthink his responses. Players' Final Jeopardy positions often depend on this round.

Final Jeopardy! Answer

The final clue tested the historical knowledge of the contestants. The category was Sports History. The clue concerned Jim Thorpe's citizenship. Native American Thorpe won the 1912 Olympics decathlon and pentathlon.

The clue of tonight was:

He wasn’t yet a U.S. citizen when he was named an All-American & won 2 Olympic gold medals for the country

Correct answer: Who is Jim Thorpe?

This happened during the podium ceremony. Thorpe later played professional baseball and football. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Thorpe of his medals in 1913. This was due to reports of him having played semi-pro baseball. His medals were finally restored to his family in the 1980s. However, the IOC did not fully reinstate Thorpe as the sole victor until 2022.

Jeopardy! Contestant Profiles of tonight's episode

Harrison Whitaker

Harrison Whitaker, a researcher from Terre Haute, Indiana, came into the game as a clear favorite to win again. He was trying to win his 10th title, and after nine days of play, he had already won $268,600. His last game, on Friday, ended in a huge $50,000 win. Harrison wants to become the 19th person on the show to win real games at least 10 times. He has made sure that he will be in the next Tournament of Champions. He is known for playing quickly and will often answer Daily Doubles right away.

Michael Kavanagh

The champion faced the first new challenger, Michael Kavanagh, the Principal of a school by profession. His hometown is Woodhaven, NY. He struggled against the nine-time champion. He wanted to score well in the early rounds to prepare for Final Jeopardy as a new contestant.

Shannon Lawinger

The other person who tried to beat them that day was Shannon Lawinger. She works as an editor for a publishing house. West Newton, Massachusetts is where she comes from. Shannon went up against Michael and Harrison, who had been the champion for a long time. She, like Michael, planned to use Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! to get enough money to make a strong bet in the final round.

On Monday, November 24, 2025, Jeopardy! was competitive. Harrison Whitaker won his 10th straight. Michael Kavanagh and Shannon Lawinger challenged the longtime champion’s reign. The Jim Thorpe Final Jeopardy! clue was fascinating sports history. Now viewers must wait for the final result. Tonight's ending will reveal Jeopardy!'s winner. Local stations nationwide air the show. Jeopardy! episodes are available to stream on Hulu.