THE CONTESTANTS

Meet the 163 competitors as they enter the Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony, with colorful comments by our very special guests Cassandra Porto and Janet Sullivan...

We begin now the parade of nations. Let's first welcome...

AFGHANISTAN

Cassandra: First to enter the stadium, Sutara Bahrami of Afghanistan competed at Miss Earth 2005.
Janet: Yes, Cassandra, and she is receiving a standing ovation, which shows that it's not always about the looks. The simple fact that Afghanistan is finally represented in beauty pageants is quite amusing!

ALBANIA

Cassandra: This is a girl who has been overlooked both in Miss World and Miss Universe, Agnese Vuthaj of Albania.
Janet: I totally agree! She looks gorgeous and I hope she does well this time around.
Cassandra: I am sure she will go through the qualifying, and possibly further in the competition...

ALGERIA

Cassandra: Well, this is a country with tremendous potential! Sarah Bengayou represented Algeria at Miss Tourism Queen 2005.
Janet: I hope pageants will one day be taken seriously in Algeria. The potential is there, I agree.

ANGOLA

Cassandra: Wow, listen to the crowd reaction! Angola's Micaela Reis is without a doubt a favorite to grab a medal in this year's games!
Janet: Totally! She is so sexy and gorgeous, and has also proven that you don't have to look like a bread stick to do well in a major pageant.
Cassandra: We are OK with curvaceous delegates, aren't we Janet??
Janet: Oh yes, Cassandra! We better be!
(both laugh)

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

Cassandra: Shermain Jeremy made history when she won the Talent Competition at Miss World 2004 and became the first woman from her country to advance to the semi-finals of any Grand Slam pageant.
Janet: In the following year she was ignored by Miss Universe judges, but never mind, she is today a popular singer in the Caribbean!

ARMENIA

Cassandra: Elegant and tall, Marina Avetyan of Armenia was a semi-finalist at Miss Tourism Queen 2007.
Janet: I think she looks fantastic!

ARGENTINA

Cassandra: For the second consecutive time Argentina is represented by Laura Romero at GB's Beauty Olympics. She was a Top 10 semi-finalist at Miss Tourism Queen 2004.
Janet: She was also the runner-up for Miss Italy in the World not too long ago. Stunning!

ARUBA

Cassandra: Also back in the games is Zerelda Lee, or simply Zizi Lee, of Aruba!
Janet: This time around in a quite different situation, since she did not place at Miss Universe 2004.
Cassandra: That's right, Janet, but in my opinion by leaving her out of the Top 15 in Ecuador, the judges were cruel...

AUSTRALIA

Cassandra: And the crowd goes wild again, there she is, Jennifer Hawkins, Miss Universe 2004, and for some, the one to beat!
Janet: Absolutely! Gorgeous, fresh, fun to be around, a gold medal could be awaiting for Jenn!
Cassandra: Let's see what happens!

AUSTRIA

Cassandra: In my opinion Christine Reiler should've been a Miss World finalist and Queen of Europe last year.
Janet: I share the same opinion, Cassandra. Christine made a great come-back for a country that virtually vanished from beauty pageants after a glorious past. I think she is a strong competitor here.

AZERBAIJAN

Cassandra: In its short Grand Slam running, Azerbaijan has sent some very attractive delegates to Miss Tourism Queen, and Inna Pupikina is living proof of that.
Janet: She is a natural beauty, I like her.

BAHAMAS

Cassandra: It was so exciting to see Leandra Pratt being called among Miss Earth 2006 semi-finalists!
Janet: Yes, it was Cassandra! She was one of those pleasant surprises, wasn't she? Lovely girl!

BARBADOS

Cassandra: Cindy Batson certainly represented her country well in Miss Universe 2004.
Janet: Yes, although not a favorite, I remember she received a few positive reviews by fans and the specialized media.

BELARUS

Cassandra: Yuliya Sindzeyeva of Belarus was sent to Miss International to gain experience. A 2nd runner-up position though, prevented her from going on to compete in Miss World.
Janet: I wonder what would've happened, had she gone to Sanya. She is an incredible beauty!
Cassandra: Already in Round 1 Belarus will face some fierce competition - Iceland's Unnur Birna, Miss World 2005!
Janet: Oh God! This will be interesting!!

BELGIUM

Cassandra: Speaking of overlooked beauties, here comes Ellen Petri of Belgium...
Janet: Oh my, she is so beautiful, it hurts! Ellen proves that amazing beauty can come in small packages as well.

BELIZE

Cassandra: Leilah Pandy competed in Miss Universe 2004 and three years later in Miss Earth.
Janet: Yes...

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