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This report can be relatively perfunctory, because the results are almost always a foregone conclusion.  After a hiatus because of the pandemic lockdowns and then an incredible shocker last year (see "Selected readings" below), there are basically no surprises… though the format has evolved.

The new thing this time was a "spell-off" that kicked in if no winner came out after a certain number of rounds. It was hard to bring the previous bees to a conclusive end because the participants were so consummately well prepared — there was an 8-way tie in 2019.  I like the new format because, not only does it eliminate overly long proceedings and multiple ties, it also adds an element of extra drama and speed to the finale.  The unsurprising thing this year was that 11 out of 13 finalists looked to be of Indian origin. (source)

"Harini Logan is the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion after a historic spell-off", by Amir Vera and Leah Asmelash, CNN (June 3, 2022)

Spelling bee champ discusses preparations for annual event

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This was Harini's fourth appearance in the national spelling bee.  Her father is Dinesh Chandrasekhar and her mother is Priya Logan. (source)

Selected readings

• "Spelling bee 2021 – Indian streak broken!" (7/9/21)
• "What happened to the spelling bee this year?" (10/21/20)
• "Spelling Bee 2019" (5/31/10)
• "The worldly sport of spelling" (6/2/18)
• “Spelling bee champs” (6/1/14)
• “Spelling bees and character amnesia” (8/7/13)
• “Brain imaging and spelling champions” (8/7/15)
• “Spoken Sanskrit” (1/9/16)
• "Once more on the mystery of the national spelling bee" (5/27/16)
• "Spelling bees in the 1940s" (7/10/16)
• "Yet again on the mystery of the national spelling bee" (6/5/17)

[Thanks to H. Krishnapriyan]

June 4, 2022 @ 12:55 pm · Filed by Victor Mair under Contests, Spelling

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