Shrey Parikh arrived at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee carrying the pressure of being one of the favourites — and he lived up to every expectation.

The 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, delivered a dominant performance in the final on Thursday night, defeating Ishaan Gupta in a dramatic lightning-round tiebreaker to claim the prestigious title.

With the competition deadlocked, the championship was decided through a 90-second “spell-off,” where contestants had to correctly spell as many words as possible under intense time pressure.

Shrey turned the tense finale into a one-sided victory by correctly spelling 32 words in the rapid-fire round, while Ishaan Gupta managed 25.

The young champion’s confidence was evident throughout the contest, especially whenever he encountered words he recognised.

Shrey’s victory marks the latest milestone in a remarkable rise through the competitive spelling circuit. After finishing tied for 89th place at the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, he improved dramatically to tie for third place in 2024.

Last year, however, he suffered a setback after losing his school spelling bee while battling a fever.

Since then, Shrey has dominated several major online spelling competitions, often competing against many of the same contestants he defeated this week in Washington, DC.

Outside of spelling, Shrey has a wide range of interests. His hobbies include tennis, reading, mathematics and chess. He is also a percussionist in his school band.

Apart from spelling achievements, he also qualified for the California State Mathcounts competition in 2026, highlighting his strong academic abilities beyond language competitions.