The Scripps National Spelling Bee had its toughest day of competition with the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
Achyut Ethiraj, 14, of Fort Wayne, Ind., reacts to misspelling his word during the quarterfinal round of competition in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2024. ended far earlier than he anticipated, the 14-year-old grimaced at the microphone, walked off the stage quietly and exited the ballroom with his mother's arm draped around his back.
The morning began with 148 spellers. By the end of the first quarterfinal round, there were 59 left, and 46 of those got through a vocabulary round to reach the semifinals. By the end of the day, eight finalists remained. They will return Thursday night, when the winner will receive a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
Two years ago, Achyut finished in a tie for 14th place, and last year he tied for 23rd. This year, he tied for 60th place alongside the 88 others eliminated in the round. In the semifinals, Shradha was followed to the exit by two more top-ten finishers from 2023: Aryan Khedkar and Sarah Fernandes. Aryan got a long hug from fellow competitor Faizan Zaki before leaving the stage.
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