Contestants from Texas, NY state co-champs of US Spelling Bee

IAN SIMPSON
Updated
The National Spelling Bee Words Get Harder Every Year
The National Spelling Bee Words Get Harder Every Year



NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., May 26 (Reuters) - Nihar Janga, a fifth-grader from Austin, Texas, and Jairam Hathwar, a seventh-grader from Painted Post, New York, were declared co-champions of the U.S. Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday.

The pair battled head to head for 25 rounds in the finals. They ended co-winners when Jairam, 13, correctly spelled 'feldenkrais', a method of education, and Nihar, 11, aced 'gesellschaft', a type of social relationship.

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"I can't say anything. I'm just in fifth grade," Nihar said after sharing the title and thanking his mother.

The tie is the third in a row in the Bee, a U.S. institution since 1925, and comes despite the contest introducing tougher rules this year to avoid another deadlock. Jairam and Nihar will each receive a $40,000 cash prize.

They are the ninth consecutive victors of South Asian ancestry, and the 12th in 16 years. Jairam's brother Sriram was the 2014 co-champion.

See images from the final:

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