Oxon Hill, Maryland – Fayzan Zaki’s enthusiasm had been better than him. Ultimately, his happy approach to the national SCRIPPS national promotion.
The favorite that enters the bees after the second place in the past year-during which he never mixed a word in a traditional spelling tour, only to Check the tie in the lightning round He did not train on-Poetic Vizan, the burden of expectations lightly, swinging to the microphone in a black Hodi and spelling his words with an informal joy.
Throughout Thursday night’s finals, the 13 -year -old from Allen, Texas, seemed as a waiting hero. Then throw it almost. But even a horrific moment of excessive confidence was unable to prevent him from seizing the title of Best Speller in English.
With three players, Sarvadnya Kadam and Sarv Dhavane lost their words in succession, and they put two words away from victory. The first was “Commelina”, but instead of asking the required questions – definition, language of origin – to ensure that he knows this, FAIZAN allowed to present the instincts of the showman.
“Cam”, then he stopped himself. “Well, let me do this. Oh, shot!”
“Only the bell rang,” said Judge Mary Brooks, who obligated.
“Now you know what is happening,” Brooks said, and the other two returned to the theater.
Later, Vizan stands next to the cup with his sweets at his feet: “I will definitely face nightmares that night.”
Even conscience Jacques Billy tried to slow Fayzan before his winning speech, “Eclaircissement”, but FAIZAN did not ask one question before he spent correctly, pumped his grip and collapsed to the theater after saying the last message.
The bees celebrated the first centenary of this year, and Vizan may be the first hero to remember more to the word that he had sinned more than one he got.
“I think he is very interested in his mosquitoes,” said Brurah Soma, Fizan’s colleague, who struck him in the “spelling” sweeping last year.
Fayzan had a more accurate explanation: After not preparing to spell last year, it was corrected, with a focus on speed during study sessions.
Although Bruhat was fast last year when he needed to be, he followed the familiar play book for Champion Fellers: asking comprehensive questions, slowly and translating, with a few feelings showing. This is among the distinctive features of the well -trained millions, and Fizan had three coaches: Scott Reimer, Wissam Evans and Suum Suukantkar.
None of them can turn Vizan into a robot on the stage.
Evans said: “He is crazy.
Zaki Anwar, Fizan’s father, said: “He’s goats. I really believe in that. It is really good, man. He has been doing it for a long time, and he knew the dictionary inside and outside.”
After Bee had a small drama last year before the sudden transition to the spelling, Scripps Modifying the rules of competitionGiving judges more space to allow competing to play before going to a draw. Nine finalists are received.
During one extension, six of the jeweler received 28 consecutive words properly, and there were three ideal rounds during the finals. The last time there was one perfect tour Poor bees 2019Which ended in a bundle of eight directions.
Sarf, the 11 -year -old student from Denwood, Georgia, who eventually ranked third, was the youngest champion since Nihar Ganga in 2016. He has three years of the remaining eligibility.
The most prepared and mature from the last three, Sarvadna-from Vicalia, California-ended his runner-up career. He is 14 years old and in the eighth grade, which means that he has come out of the competition. It is not a bad way out, given that Vizan became the second place in the fifth century in a century to return and win, and the first since Sean Conley in 2001.
Including Fayzan, whose parents immigrated from southern India, 30 former Indian heroes, a race that began with Nobor Lala’s victory in 1999, which later appeared in the documentary “Spellbound”. Lala was among the dozens of former heroes who attended this year and signed signatures for distributors, families and bee lovers to honor the anniversary.
With the addition of the winner of $ 52,500 to the second -place prize of $ 25,000, Vezan increased from bee profits to $ 7,7500. His great boasting with his profits last year? Rubik Cube $ 1500 with 21 squares on each side. This time, he said he would donate a large part of his profits for charities.
Bees began in 1925 when Louisville Courier-Journal called other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their heroes to Washington. Over the past 14 years, Scripps has hosted the competition at a conference center directly outside the country’s capital, but bee returns to the city center next year to the constitution hall, a place for almost a century -old concerts near the White House.
Fayzan used to resort to more than half of his life. He competed in 2019 Bee when he was 7 years old, where he got the Berri Cards program that has been suspended since then. He qualified again in 2023 and made the semi -finals before finishing second place last year.
“One of the things that distinguishes it is that he is truly passionate about this. In his spare time, when he is not studying for bees, he literally searches for old words and dough that does not have a chance to ask,” Brawat said. “I don’t think he is very interested in the title like his passion for language and words.”
Fayzan had no regret for showing this enthusiasm, although he was almost cost him.
“There is no crime in front of Burwat, but I think he took the bees very seriously,” said Faizan. “I decided to enjoy this bees, and I have done a good job, and here I am.”
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Nuckols Bee Scripps National Bee has been covered since 2012. Follow his work here.
