National Spelling Bee canceled for first time since 1945

April 21, 2020 19:52

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been cancelled after organisers concluded there is "no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020" because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision, announced by Scripps, means kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals. Scripps will not change eligibility requirements for next year's bee, which is scheduled for June 1-3, 2021, at its longtime venue, a convention center outside Washington.

The bee has always been open to kids through the eighth grade.

"Our hearts go out to the spellers who won't get their final shot at winning because of the pandemic and the difficult decisions it is prompting us to make," Paige Kimble, the bee's executive director, said in a statement.

The bee, televised by ESPN since 1994, had only previously been cancelled in 1943-45 because of World War II.

The first Scripps bee was held in 1925.

Last year's bee ended in an unprecedented eight-way tie after organisers ran out of words difficult enough to challenge the best spellers.

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