Faizan Zaki, 13, rebounds from stunning gaffe to win National Spelling Bee crown
by Agencies from on (#6XMGQ)
Texas teen wins 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee
Moment of overconfidence nearly thwarted Zaki
Faizan Zaki's enthusiasm for spelling nearly got the better of him. Ultimately, his joyful approach made him the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.
The favorite entering the bee after his runner-up finish last year - during which he never misspelled a word in a conventional spelling round, only to lose a lightning-round tiebreaker that he didn't practice for - the shaggy-haired Faizan wore the burden of expectations lightly, sauntering to the microphone in a black hoodie and spelling his words with casual glee.
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