California Teen Shrey Parikh Wins National Spelling Bee in Dramatic Tiebreaker
Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, emerged victorious at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, winning a tense final through a lightning-round tiebreaker. Parikh correctly spelled 32 words in the 90-second spell-off, defeating Ishaan Gupta, a 12-year-old seventh-grader from Jersey City, New Jersey, who managed 25 correct words.
Parikh, who finished third in 2024, had been considered a favorite entering the competition. His preparation included intensive coaching from Sam Evans, who has tutored the past three champions, Sohum Sukhatankar, a co-champion in 2019, and Vijaya Ganesh. He also competed frequently in online spelling bees and studied advanced guides to minimize errors.
“Right now I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m just so happy and relieved,” Parikh said. His victory came after a disappointing loss at his school bee last year due to illness, which he described as a learning experience. His father, Gaurav Parikh, noted, “The school bee last year was a blessing in disguise. You’re going to learn how to deal with setbacks.”
The final was marked by strong performances early, with all 18 spellers correctly answering the first round. Aiden Meng of Orinda, California, broke the streak by misspelling “catometope.” Other contenders, including Oliver Halkett and Zwe Spacetime, were eliminated on difficult words like “Faesulae” and “vaesite.”
Sarv Dharavane, a 12-year-old sixth-grader from Dunwoody, Georgia, finished third for the second consecutive year. For the first time in bee history, second- and third-place finishers from the same year have gone on to win; Faizan Zaki, who won last year, was runner-up two years ago.
The bee was held at Constitution Hall for the first time, a change that brought a more intimate atmosphere but lacked the traditional confetti shower. New host Mina Kimes of ESPN and analyst Paul Loeffler guided the broadcast smoothly.
Parikh’s winning word was “bromocriptine,” a polypeptide alkaloid that mimics dopamine activity. He received a custom trophy and $52,500 in cash. Coach Sam Evans praised his dedication: “Shrey’s relentless. I’ve really never seen someone put this much effort into spelling bees.”
