The 12-year-old seventh-grader from Tampa, Florida, blitzed through 30 words in 90 seconds Thursday night.
Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., competes in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee , in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 30, 2024. stage, and he felt even more pressure to perform given that he hadn't lost a spelling bee in eight months.
Had he known the way Scripps would conduct the final rounds, he might have spent even more time on his speed training. There was no doubt Bruhat was a worthy champion, but the conclusion left many observers disappointed and confused. And then bee officials announced it was time for the tiebreaker before Bruhat and Faizan were even given a chance to compete in a conventional round.
Shortly after Bruhat was showered with confetti and handed the trophy, Faizan was in tears at the side of the stage, accepting hugs from other spellers. A few minutes earlier, he had embraced his good friend, Shrey Parikh, after Shrey was eliminated. "I always want to win. And this was, like, my main goal," Bruhat said. "It didn't matter if I won all those other bees. This is what I was aiming for. So I'm just really happy that I won this."
Nupur Lala was the winner that year who inspired a generation, especially after her triumph was featured in the documentary "Spellbound." Now a neuro-oncologist, Lala returned to the bee this year for the first time in a decade.
Bruhat Soma Spell-Off Faizan Zaki Tiebreaker Spelling Tampa Indian American
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee in second-ever spell-offBruhat will receive $50,000 in cash, a commemorative medal and the Scripps Cup.
Read more »
Bruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after lightning-round tiebreakerBruhat Soma was unbeatable before he arrived at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and neither the dictionary, nor his competitors, nor a lightning-round tiebreaker challenged him on the way to victory.
Read more »
Bruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after lightning-round tiebreakerBruhat Soma was unbeatable before he arrived at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and neither the dictionary, nor his competitors, nor a lightning-round tiebreaker challenged him on the way to victory.
Read more »
Bruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after lightning-round tiebreakerBruhat Soma was unbeatable before he arrived at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and neither the dictionary, nor his competitors, nor a lightning-round tiebreaker challenged him on the way to victory.
Read more »
Florida 12-year-old Bruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee titleBruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee title after tiebreaker round
Read more »
Bruhat Soma wins Scripps National Spelling Bee after lightning-round tiebreakerBruhat Soma was unbeatable before he arrived at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and neither the dictionary, nor his competitors, nor a lightning-round tiebreaker challenged him on the way to victory.
Read more »