You pretty much said what I was about to say. People always say "Well, let's see if Missy can win in a season three layout" or "David was just an average player when you compare him to players like Jarrid and Gator". First off, I don't see how anyone can compare a season one run to a season three run. Sure, David followed Candace's footsteps in the temple, but did he really know any better? Many season one contestants didn't know that they could avoid useless detours because they were not familiar on how the temple worked. I am sure if David was in Gator's or Jarrid's shoes, he wouldn't have made that mistake.
Same thing with Leah from "The Star of Sultan Saladin". Yes, she tried a little too hard when trying to beeline for the direct path. But that shouldn't take away on how fast she was in the temple and she even tried all the available shortcuts also. And on top of that, she avoided a temple guard in the Cave of Sighs that would've made a difference between a solo victory and a possible loss.
And I am glad you mentioned Tiffani, because I was just about to bring her up. We all know that she was slow in the temple, but she made up for it by pulling herself back onto the platform and using shortcuts. She was lucky to not encounter any temple guards? Maybe because she actually used a shortcut and avoided two potential guards. Plus, that was one big ass helmet and she still brought it out of the temple. So I don't really complain about her speed and exit plan. "Sir Gawain" is not my favorite win at all, but Tiffani did a solid job and she earned that win.
I mean Zac, Jarrid, Jessica, and Gator were some of the best contestants on the show. But other contestants have their own redeeming values also and just because they weren't as fast as these contestants, didn't mean that they were overrated. Once again, I am glad that you brought up this point PPF, since people tend to act some contestants like David, Jennifer, and Missy were not great because they didn't have to face a temple as hard as these contestants did.