Hanna Yoshida of K. International School Tokyo managed to outlast her final opponent Saturday over the course of nine tense rounds by spelling "insubordinate" to secure victory at the ninth annual Japan Times Bee.
After misspelling a word in the final round, it appeared 14-year-old Yoshida would be destined for runner-up, but 12-year-old Preksha Prashanth of the Yokohama campus of India International School was unable to clinch victory with her final word as well, setting the stage for a dramatic finish at the headquarters of The Japan Times in Tokyo.
In the end, Yoshida managed to recover from her misstep, nailing "emulate," "parsonage," "intermission," "execute" and her final word, "insubordinate," which means defiant of authority, to beat her 40 rivals.
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