Linguistic mastery in High-stakes Spelling Show-down

In a dazzling display of linguistic talent at Cambridge University, Nikhil Gajavilli (German) and Kavin Nadar (French) each secured an impressive second place in their respective national language competitions. From an original pool of 17, 000 contestants, Arjun Agrawal (German) also secured a place in the top 15.

In the finals, with 96 participants, the competition drew the best multilingual Year 7 spellers in the UK, all vying for honours. Contestants were required not only to spell each word correctly, but also to pronounce it with flawless precision—all within a tight 60-second window. Dr Pickett witnessed and led the party through the different Spelling Bee finals. The pressure was immense, yet the atmosphere buzzed with excitement and determination.

The Olavians' achievements stand as a testament to their hard work, teachers' dedication, and remarkable command of language.