21.   The contest begins at noon Thursday in Branson, at the Lawrence Welk Champagne Theatre.

22.   Then, however, the contest began to crash.

23.   Their contest began on a note of mutual hesitation.

24.   As they approached Salerno and flatter terrain, the sprinting contest began, with jockeying between Francois Simon of France and Sorensen continuing on to the finish.

25.   As the contest begins many weave in all directions, seemingly confused, before settling into a direct run.

26.   But the strong winds had cleared Friday morning and the contest began on time with a seven-knot breeze and a chunky four-foot swell.

27.   Hours before the contest began, Washington, D.C., was out and actor Kirk Douglas was in.

28.   Major did not say when the leadership contest would begin.

29.   Roi Sagie, a second-year civil engineering student, admitted moments before the contest began that he could have put a bit more effort into his entry.

30.   The contest began in earnest on Wednesday and resumed Thursday with students tackling a range of geometry, integer, word and other problems.