One 15-letter word stood between Faizan and the title of best speller in the English language. He nailed it
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
6 hours ago
- West Australian
San Antonio Aquarium: Mother's terror as giant octopus grabs child and won't let go
A family outing ended in terrifying circumstances after a massive octopus latched onto a young boy and climbed outside its water tank while wrapping itself around the child. The six-year-old was innocently interacting with the sea creatures above an open-top pool when the octopus grabbed him by the arm, suctioned itself to his torso and would not let go. Staff and onlookers at the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas rushed to assist the child, and it reportedly took three adults at least five minutes to physically remove the tentacles, leaving the youngster severely bruised on the arm and upper body. The child's mother, Britney Taryn, said the incident, which occurred during a visit by her family on July 14, happened when the giant Pacific octopus grabbed her son Leo's arm while he was hovering over the touch tank. Ms Taryn released a TikTok video saying they had previously visited the attraction and engaged with the same octopus without issue. 'My son is very level-headed when it comes to animals, so when he had his arm in there, and he starts saying, 'Mom, it's not letting me go — and way too calmly — 'I'm like, 'Oh, okay.' So I'm helping him get down from the step and trying to pull him away from the octopus, and that octopus is not letting go,' Ms Taryn said. 'The octopus starts coming out of the tank, and the reason we don't have pictures or videos of this is because my friend was also freaking out.' Images released on social media show the young boy's arms covered in deep bruises caused by the Octopus's suction cups. The San Antonio Aquarium has since posted a social media video explaining the bruising these animals can inflict once they attach themselves to other animals or humans, that can last between seven to 14 days. 'So there's around 200 suction cups per arm. And as they grow ... they will actually shed their suction cup,' an aquarium employee said in the clip. The aquarium added that the giant Pacific octopus has the ability to lift weights of over 300 kilograms. According to PEOPLE , Ms Taryn has attempted to engage with the aquarium and is campaigning for safer and more comfortable living conditions for the animal, as well as others in similar situations. She added that she asked the San Antonio Aquarium to formally document the incident, and to provide an accessible explanation of the aquarium's safety protocols for when visitors interact with animals. In a social media video she claimed that she had not heard back from the Texas-based venue.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Terror as giant octopus grabs child at aquarium
A family outing ended in terrifying circumstances after a massive octopus latched onto a young boy and climbed outside its water tank while wrapping itself around the child. The six-year-old was innocently interacting with the sea creatures above an open-top pool when the octopus grabbed him by the arm, suctioned itself to his torso and would not let go. Staff and onlookers at the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas rushed to assist the child, and it reportedly took three adults at least five minutes to physically remove the tentacles, leaving the youngster severely bruised on the arm and upper body. The child's mother, Britney Taryn, said the incident, which occurred during a visit by her family on July 14, happened when the giant Pacific octopus grabbed her son Leo's arm while he was hovering over the touch tank. Ms Taryn released a TikTok video saying they had previously visited the attraction and engaged with the same octopus without issue. 'My son is very level-headed when it comes to animals, so when he had his arm in there, and he starts saying, 'Mom, it's not letting me go — and way too calmly — 'I'm like, 'Oh, okay.' So I'm helping him get down from the step and trying to pull him away from the octopus, and that octopus is not letting go,' Ms Taryn said. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. 'The octopus starts coming out of the tank, and the reason we don't have pictures or videos of this is because my friend was also freaking out.' Images released on social media show the young boy's arms covered in deep bruises caused by the Octopus's suction cups. The San Antonio Aquarium has since posted a social media video explaining the bruising these animals can inflict once they attach themselves to other animals or humans, that can last between seven to 14 days. 'So there's around 200 suction cups per arm. And as they grow ... they will actually shed their suction cup,' an aquarium employee said in the clip. The aquarium added that the giant Pacific octopus has the ability to lift weights of over 300 kilograms. According to PEOPLE, Ms Taryn has attempted to engage with the aquarium and is campaigning for safer and more comfortable living conditions for the animal, as well as others in similar situations. She added that she asked the San Antonio Aquarium to formally document the incident, and to provide an accessible explanation of the aquarium's safety protocols for when visitors interact with animals. In a social media video she claimed that she had not heard back from the Texas-based venue.
7NEWS
7 hours ago
- 7NEWS
How cult Aussie gumboot brand beloved by thousands is working to tackle homelessness
It's the cult gumboot brand beloved by thousands of people around the world, including the Best Picks team. Dani Holloway famously came up with the idea for Merry People when she was working a corporate job in Melbourne. With rain one minute and beaming sun the next, Dani knew she wanted to come up with a gumboot that could comfortably be worn for long periods of time, that still looked work appropriate but that was waterproof and would keep her feet dry. The resulting Merry People brand, which launched in 2014, has only gone from strength to strength in the past decade. This week, Merry People is giving back, with 10 per cent of all their Australian-site sales going to Bridge It. Bridge It is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit creating safe, affordable accommodation, education and employment pathways for young women and gender-diverse people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Among the bestsellers on the Merry People website is the five-star-rated Bobbi Boots ($159.95). These gorgeous rain-proof ankle boots come in an array of different colours, depending on whether you like bright boots or a more natural palette. Dubbed ' the shoe that does everything ', many of the 22,000 reviewers have described them as 'perfect for both the rain and snow'. 'Literally will get nice comments every time I wear them, along with 'are they Merry People boots?' as if it's a cult. Amazing. Get yourself a pair!' writes one shopper. 'Bought my first pair of Bobbi boots 2.5yrs ago and they have taken me everywhere in that time!' another adds. 'As a mum of two active little ones and helping my husband on farm with our dairy cows, they have trekked some miles and mud without fail. I absolutely love the colour, style and comfort.' If platform boots are more your style, you can invest in the Tully Boots ($179.95), which come in two bold colours and feature a small platform heel. Finally, the newer Andie Boot ($169.95) is a sleek, contemporary interpretation of a classic slip-on gumboot. Putting a focus on function above all else, it's designed for those who need a durable and hard-working welly in the garden, countryside or farm. If you purchase any pair of Merry People boots on the Aussie website between August 4 and August 10, 10 per cent of all of the sales will go to Bridge It.
