Irishman Diarmuid Early emerged onto the HyperX arena in Las Vegas under the bright lights, dramatic music, and fanfare worthy of any major sporting final.
Only this time, instead of a ball there was a keyboard and mouse, and the playing field a humble desktop setup.
Dubbed the "LeBron James of Excel spreadsheets", Galway born and Waterford raised Diarmuid is now the world's best worksheet whizz.
He won the 2025 Microsoft Excel World Championships, where a $60,000 (£45,726) prize pot has propelled the computer program from the office into a high stakes spectacle.
The esport showpiece attracted competitors worldwide as 256 spreadsheet heads battled it out across knockout rounds to join the final 24 in Vegas.
