One 15-letter word stood between Faizan and the title of best speller in the English language. He nailed it
But Sarv misspelled again, followed in the next round by Sarvadnya, and Faizan stayed just calm enough to ensure his competitors wouldn't get back to the microphone.
It was a riveting conclusion to a competition that started in 1925 and appears to have a bright future. Scripps, a Cincinnati-based media company, had a few dozen former champions on hand to celebrate the centennial of an event that began when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington.
Faizan lost to Bruhat Soma last year in a tiebreaker known as a 'spell-off'. He became only the fifth runner-up to come back and win and the first since Sean Conley in 2001.
With the winner's haul of $US52,500 ($81,700) added to his second-place prize of $US25,000, Faizan increased his bee earnings to $US77,500. His big splurge with his winnings last year? A $US1500 Rubik's cube with 21 squares on each side.
This is the last year the bee will be held at its home for the past 14 years, a convention centre just outside Washington on the banks of the Potomac River. In 2026, the competition returns to the nation's capital at Constitution Hall, a nearly century-old concert venue near the White House.
Other finalists
– Aishwarya Kallakuri, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Concord, North Carolina, and winner of the SpellPundit National Spelling Bee.
– Harini Murali, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Edison, New Jersey, a finalist last year and the younger sister of Navneeth Murali, who would have been a top contender in the 2020 bee had it not been cancelled because of COVID-19.
–Esha Marupudi, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Chandler, Arizona, who is competing at the bee for the first time.
–Oliver Halkett, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Los Angeles and a two-time bee participant.
–Sarvadnya Kadam, a three-time speller and a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Visalia, California.
–Sarv Dharavane, an 11-year-old from Dunwoody, Georgia, who made the semifinals last year as a fourth-grader.
–Brian Liu, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Great Neck, New York, who was a semifinalist two years ago but didn't make it to the bee in 2024.
–Akshaj Somisetty, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and a two-time speller who leapt from quarterfinalist to finalist.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
18 hours ago
- West Australian
Fears of Labubu crackdown in China sink Popmart shares
Pop Mart shares dropped in Hong Kong after a Chinese state media commentary called for stricter regulation of blind-box toys and trading cards, stoking concern over the company's wildly popular Labubu dolls. While the commentary didn't call out Pop Mart by name, it spooked traders who have propelled the company's stock to a nearly 170 per cent gain this year amid the craze for its toothy monster dolls. Pop Mart often sells its dolls inside a blind box, which means the buyer doesn't know what specific character is inside until they open it. Shares of the Beijing-based toymaker, which has a market value of about $US40 billion ($61.7b), dropped as much as 6.6 per cent after tumbling 5.3 per cent on Thursday. China should further refine regulations for 'blind cards' and 'mystery boxes' as some of the current business models induce minors to become addicted to purchasing these products, according to a feature story carried on the 19th page of the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, citing legal experts. 'The commentary has weighed on investor sentiment, flashing some overheating signs in its business,' said Steven Leung, an executive director at UOB Kay Hian Hong Kong, referring to Pop Mart. 'Still, it's a mild reminder as it didn't come directly from a government official.' In China, the government prohibits sales of blind boxes to children under the age of eight due to concern over potential addiction. Before the authorities imposed such guidelines in 2023, regulatory risk was a key concern among investors. But even with the slump this week, Pop Mart shares are still the best performers in the MSCI China Index, as consumer fervour for its toys has turned it into one of the hottest Chinese growth companies. Wall Street analysts have been increasing their price targets for the company, citing the growing influence of its intellectual property. Celebrities including Rihanna and BlackPink's Lisa have been spotted carrying Pop Mart's toys, making it one of China's most notable consumer brands to gain popularity globally. Policymakers in Beijing have sought to encourage such success stories, which may temper expectations for a more disruptive crackdown. 'We believe the government remains supportive of China's IP development, but wants to protect minors and iron out irregularities,' Jefferies analysts including Anne Ling wrote in a note. 'In the short term, there will be pressure on share prices for the entire pop toy segment, especially those that have outperformed year-to-date.' Kayou, a Chinese maker of trading cards, pushed back its plan for an initial public offering in Hong Kong last year after negative publicity surrounding the industry from Chinese state media. It refiled for the listing in April.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Eat the rich: Black Swan's new play is biting, entertaining
Never Have I Ever Black Swan Theatre Company Heath Ledger Theatre ★★★ By the time Australian-born, British-based comedian Deborah Frances-White (of The Guilty Feminist podcast) came to write her first play Never Have I Ever, the seismic shift in culture and politics triggered by the exposure of Harvey Weinstein and the murder of George Floyd had moved into a reflective phase. Some argued that the world was more complex than depicted by so-called 'woke' culture — that middle-class white men could be aware of their privilege and power and act decently and that women and people of colour could be powerful and were not always victims. These contradictions are played out beautifully in the very funny opening of Never Have I Ever in which the owners of a swanky London restaurant — working-class chef Jacq (Emily Rose Brennan) and her lover/business partner Kas (Deep Sroa) — have invited their old university friends Tobin (Will O'Mahony) and Adaego (Ratidzo Mambo) to dinner to announce they're shutting up shop and declaring bankruptcy. Jacq and Kas are so progressive they came up with the nutty notion of individual cooking stations to make their customers feel safe in a post-COVID world, a venture backed by the progressive Tobin, who has made a fortune with his ethically driven investment company, supported by high-profile journalist and social justice warrior partner Adaego. Unfortunately, the individual stations idea (beautifully rendered onstage by Bryan Woltjen, shooting flames into the air to coincide with the various emotional eruptions), was so expensive to operate that it sent the restaurant broke despite rave reviews and full sittings. The amiable, understanding Tobin initially laughs off his sizeable loss. However, as Jacq, who dragged herself up from poverty, and the two people of colour take delight in razzing and rubbishing his attempt to make up for his white male privilege he gets increasingly agitated and defensive, setting the scene for seemingly innocuous sexual revelations during the titular drinking game that uncorks Tobin's toxic side. When writer Frances-White is poking fun at the various contradictions of this privileged quartet staking claims for their lower position on the gender/race/class ladder or their efforts to make the world a better place, the play is giddy, sophisticated fun, with the four terrific actors eliciting sympathy for their positions while making us laugh at their narcissism and blindness. 'I'm the Michelle Obama of the group!' declares Tobin, who spends the first act justifying his ethically acquired wealth and criticising the others for claiming to be progressive but making much less real-world impact than he does.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Eat the rich: Black Swan's new play is biting, entertaining
Never Have I Ever Black Swan Theatre Company Heath Ledger Theatre ★★★ By the time Australian-born, British-based comedian Deborah Frances-White (of The Guilty Feminist podcast) came to write her first play Never Have I Ever, the seismic shift in culture and politics triggered by the exposure of Harvey Weinstein and the murder of George Floyd had moved into a reflective phase. Some argued that the world was more complex than depicted by so-called 'woke' culture — that middle-class white men could be aware of their privilege and power and act decently and that women and people of colour could be powerful and were not always victims. These contradictions are played out beautifully in the very funny opening of Never Have I Ever in which the owners of a swanky London restaurant — working-class chef Jacq (Emily Rose Brennan) and her lover/business partner Kas (Deep Sroa) — have invited their old university friends Tobin (Will O'Mahony) and Adaego (Ratidzo Mambo) to dinner to announce they're shutting up shop and declaring bankruptcy. Jacq and Kas are so progressive they came up with the nutty notion of individual cooking stations to make their customers feel safe in a post-COVID world, a venture backed by the progressive Tobin, who has made a fortune with his ethically driven investment company, supported by high-profile journalist and social justice warrior partner Adaego. Unfortunately, the individual stations idea (beautifully rendered onstage by Bryan Woltjen, shooting flames into the air to coincide with the various emotional eruptions), was so expensive to operate that it sent the restaurant broke despite rave reviews and full sittings. The amiable, understanding Tobin initially laughs off his sizeable loss. However, as Jacq, who dragged herself up from poverty, and the two people of colour take delight in razzing and rubbishing his attempt to make up for his white male privilege he gets increasingly agitated and defensive, setting the scene for seemingly innocuous sexual revelations during the titular drinking game that uncorks Tobin's toxic side. When writer Frances-White is poking fun at the various contradictions of this privileged quartet staking claims for their lower position on the gender/race/class ladder or their efforts to make the world a better place, the play is giddy, sophisticated fun, with the four terrific actors eliciting sympathy for their positions while making us laugh at their narcissism and blindness. 'I'm the Michelle Obama of the group!' declares Tobin, who spends the first act justifying his ethically acquired wealth and criticising the others for claiming to be progressive but making much less real-world impact than he does.
