AT THE HOMESTRETCH: Miss World 2009 (Part 1)

by Joseph Vitug

Miss World 2009 is turning out to be a memorably historic pageant. There are three reasons why:

1. A record 112 contestants are competing.
2. Two countries that won the fast-track entered into the semifinals for the first time ever in their history of participating in this pageant—in fact, one country had unceasingly participated in this pageant since 1964 before this breakthrough (though it made its first appearance in 1959).
3. This is the first time the majority of the contestants traveled to three separate continents for various events: they began in Europe in England to grace the World Travel Awards and attend a Miss World Charity Gala, then to Abu Dhabi in the Middle East in Asia for some fashion shows, then finally a grand tour to various cities in South Africa on the African continent. (NOTE: A few contestants missed the events due to visa issues, among others)

Other notable events associated with this pageant include:

* Apparently in tribute to Johannesburg’s nickname as “City of Gold” (or “Egoli” in Zulu), we witnessed a preponderance of gold-colored clothing in various events, starting with the fashion show in Abu Dhabi where the contestants were clad in gold-colored evening gowns, then the Beach Beauty competition where the ladies were clad in golden swimsuits of various designs, then in golden casual wear at the One and Only Resort, and finally, at the football stadium in Cape Town they were clad in tight golden athletic shirt-and-shorts ensembles.
* Besides the usually extremely competitive batch of Europeans that we expect in this pageant, the African continent and the Caribbean region boasted of striking stunners that there might be a possibility that either region could feature around four or more from their region making the final cut.
* The two Miss Universe Mocha Babes (France’s Chloe Mortaud and South Africa’s Tatum Keshwar) may have initially seemed to have lost their mojos, it turned out they were just reserving their energies and made major impressions when it counts that they are expected to equal or even exceed their previous performances. And since the most successful Mocha Babe in that group (Dominican Republic’s Ada Aimee de la Cruz) could no longer see action in this pageant since she previously competed two years ago, there is room for a new member of this illustrious clique.
* With the fast-track winners and shortlist choices featuring a host of worthy underdogs, this pageant seems headed to an exciting outcome—will the perceived favorites prevail, or would an underdog take it all?

Though the pageant events so far and the conduct of them were dubbed by fans and pundits with superlatives so far, I do have a few quibbles on a few items, such as:

* Several of the swimsuit designs were a tad too provocative for comfort—do they intend the contestants to audition for a stereotypically misogynistic hip-hop video?
I know that for the ordinary pageant fan, the coverage and the photos from various events are viewed to be abundant enough. I’m still not satisfied, as I wanted to see every contestant that were actually featured in major fast-track events like Top Model and Beach Beauty—for instance, we heard about the 44 who were in swimwear before they announced the Top 20 shortlist; so who were those 44? For Top Model, it’s nice we saw photos of the ladies in the gown of their own choosing—but where are the ladies from Tahiti to Zambia (Turkey was featured because she was shortlisted and Venezuela was shown wearing a blue sequined furry mini-skirted misfire thanks to probably some resourceful Venezuelan fans)? And it would be nice to see how all the contestants looked in the golden gowns as the Top Model round also featured the ladies parading in golden frocks.
* Also I know the Miss World website improved significantly from the messy and disorganized layout of last year, but still I wish they would post the videos of all contestants in a timely manner—so far the only videos I saw were of Albania and Argentina. We do like to hear what they say, and since there is no more “Vote for Me” special, this is probably the only venue where we can hear them.
* We fans were expecting that during the FIFA World Cup draw that the 27 ladies representing their respective World Cup finalist countries would be on hand and onstage as symbolic representatives during the conduct of the draw, like what happened last year during the draw of the Confederations Cup. But they seemed to be relegated to an outdoor viewing gathering instead this year.

I will organize my homestretch review into four parts, discussing the delegates in strict alphabetical order. Let us start with:

ALBANIA – Armina Mevlani. She does make a great impression with her pretty face. Too bad that she was overshadowed by more charismatic ladies out there. At least she has the consolation of being shortlisted in the Talent round.

ANGOLA – Jercinalda Silva. During early events, this lady was making a major impression amongst pageant fans and pundits that they believed that she has an inside track to the finals. But it seemed she fizzled a bit as time wore on—she was not even considered on any shortlist so far. But still, her beauty was undeniable that she could still remain in contention for the finals.

ARGENTINA – Evelyn Lucia Manchon. She’s reasonably attractive, but we’ve seen more better representatives from this country before. A creditable performance is the best we could expect from her.

ARUBA – Nuraisa Lispier. Good thing unlike her stint at Miss International she decided to maintain her curls instead of experimenting with various looks. But unfortunately, she was overshadowed by a few standouts from her region that it would be an uphill battle for her to be in serious contention for the finals.

AUSTRALIA – Sophie Lavers. Well, she figured in two shortlists—Top 12 in Sports and Top Five in Talent. Her dancing talent was indeed notable for an impressive display of flexibility. She is also attractive, but again, we’ve seen way more gorgeous babes from her country before. The aforementioned fast-tracks were also notable for not being truly indicative or reflective of the prospects of the contestant making the final cut—in fact, they were notorious for sometimes allowing an otherwise less-than-worthy contestant to make the final cut.

AUSTRIA – Anna Hammel. Prior to arriving in London for the pageant, there were fans and pundits who would place her as a serious contender for the finals, like the well-regarded Christine Reiler two years ago. Unfortunately, the release of an article where she was a bit too candid about her regard for other contestants and an apparent less-than-competitive attitude had made those same fans and pundits reconsider her prospects. Now, she is simply regarded as just a pretty face.

BAHAMAS – Joanna Brown. During the early events, several fans and pundits noticed the charisma she seemed to exude in those events, and hence her stock in trade rose that she was regarded as a serious contender in an extremely competitive Caribbean group. But then it was revealed in crucial events that her figure is “thicker” than what we expect in a standard modern beauty queen, so though she was clearly polished and a worthwhile contender, it would be unlikely that she would be in serious contention for the final cut—unless the Miss World judging panel decided to let her get away with it like the way Paraguay’s Gabriela Rejala managed to make the final cut at this year’s Miss Earth. Anyway, kudos for her making the Talent shortlist and proving that big is more than beautiful.

BARBADOS – Leah Marville. Chloe and Tatum, welcome the new member of the Mocha Babes club. This lady made a major impression amongst pageant fans and pundits with her sleek pre-arrival modeling photos, but it turned out when she arrived for the competition that she actually delivered on the hype and even more. She figured in three of the fast-tracks so far: Top 12 in Beach Beauty, Top 22 in Talent, and Top 12 in Top Model. Wearing Magdalene Wolcott’s orange printed Miss Universe 2005 evening gown (and strutting fabulously in it), she also figured in the Top 12 of the Dress Designers special award. Unlike her predecessor, Natalie Olivia Griffith, who made it because of a Talent fast-track, this lady is clearly going to make the final cut on her own merits, and possibly even going all the way to winning it all.

BELARUS – Yuliya Sindzeyeva. She still looked gorgeous like the way she did back at Miss International two years ago (she gave her country a breakthrough there by becoming 2nd runner-up). Too bad that she seemed overshadowed by ladies with more charisma that despite her great looks she didn’t even figure in the fast-track shortlists. I doubt she could exude the likeable charm and intelligence to pull off a Sabrina Houssami or Micaela Reis and go far despite not figuring in the fast-tracks. Speaking of which…

BELGIUM – Zeynep Sever. This Miss Universe semifinalist surprisingly failed to figure in any of the fast tracks, but pageant fans and pundits are still keeping the faith. Anyway, she also seemed to be the one most likely to charm her way with the judges to maybe pull off the Sabrina Houssami / Micaela Reis feat and make the final cut—though I don’t foresee her going beyond the semifinals like in Miss Universe. She still has to deal with those Mocha Babes, you know, along with two front-running Latinas.

BELIZE – Norma Leticia Lara. She looked attractive enough in real-world standards, but in pageant standards she is far from being in serious contention.

BOLIVIA – Flavia Fernanda Foianini. Most fans and pundits did not notice her too much at first, but as she made the Top Five in Beach Beauty, people started turning their heads and realized that she is indeed a serious contender for the finals—she looks like a pretty tan doll. She also was shortlisted in Talent. Keep an eye on her.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA – Andrea Šarac. She is an undeniably pretty ingenue who figured among the Top 22 in the Talent fast-track. In a less competitive year she would be in much more serious contention to the finals.

BOTSWANA – Sumaiyah Pandor Marope. She is attractive and seemed to have a dignified stance, but she is a relatively middling contender compared to the African standouts out there.

BRAZIL – Luciana Bertolini. Like Miss Belgium, she did not figure in any fast-track but fans and pundits are keeping enough faith that she possesses the charm and personality to win over the judges and make the final cut despite not figuring in any shortlist. I do believe she does have what it takes, though I do quibble about her rather prominent front teeth (that may have been the cause preventing her from figuring in the key shortlists in the first place).

BULGARIA – Antonia Petrova. When she won her national pageant, pageant fans and pundits complained that she looked too slutty for comfort. To her credit, she toned down the sluttiness during the pageant proceedings, but she ended up looking like she is competing in a senior’s pageant as she looked at least 15 years older than her stated age. Her consolation is figuring in the Talent short-list.

CANADA – Lena Ma. Lookswise, she may not be regarded as being in serious contention for the finals, though she is more polished and charismatic than expected. But she possesses a talent that is of a professional calibre that could not be denied that she earned a tie for the Talent fast-track and became a semifinalist. It’s a treat listening to her opera singing.

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA – Yu Sheng. I initially thought that the Asian most likely would be this girl as she looked irresistibly cute. But during pageant activities she seemed overshadowed by the other Asians out there. Factor in the fact that she didn’t even figure into any fast-track, and her prospects of being in serious contention for the finals is fading fast. Anyway, she has the consolation of figuring in the Top 12 of the Dress Designer award with her interesting blue-and-white sequined evening gown.

COLOMBIA – Daniela Ramos Lalinde. Her looks are above-average, but she doesn’t have the charisma or the standout quality of her counterparts in other pageants.

COSTA RICA – Angie Catalina Alfaro. She is undeniably attractive, also, but she doesn’t seem to know how to capitalize on them to best effect.

COTE D’IVOIRE – Rosine Gnago Dacoury. Her crowning photo and early activities in London and Abu Dhabi seemed to indicate a serious contender amongst a bevy of extremely strong Africans. But then during the Top Model fast-track, she made a serious misfire as she cut her hair into a short, straight, boyish cut and to be frank it made her look like actress Alfre Woodard—now, I do have a high regard for that actress, but it was mainly for her talent, not her beauty. Why, oh why did she do that?!

CROATIA – Ivana Vasilj. She is the equivalent of this year’s Miss France-Earth, Magalie Thierry, as she is initially a lesser-regarded contender who blossomed as the pageant wears on. She made the Top 20 shortlist in Beach Beauty. I wouldn’t be surprised if she also makes the final cut like her predecessor.

CURACAO – Chantalle Thomassen. She’s attractive, but sometimes her features make her look a tad too mature and hence she couldn’t make serious headway into the finals.

CYPRUS – Christalla Tsiali. In my opinion, she has a passing resemblance to “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera—fortunately when America dolls up and looks pretty as herself in awards shows, not in character. Still, she doesn’t seem to exude the charisma to be in serious contention for the finals.
CZECH REPUBLIC – Aneta Vignerova. Here is another underrated treat—a strikingly fierce brunette model diva who somehow failed to figure in the fast-tracks. Wonder if the Miss World judges could appreciate her gorgeous model fierceness as they tend to prefer bubbly ingenues or personable charmers.

DENMARK – Nadia Ulbjerg Pederson. In her Top Model photos, she looked so unpolished that she gave me nightmares. She reminds me of a thin version of singer Alison Moyet.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Ana Rita Contreras. Potentially, her complexion and her beauty could also qualify her into the Mocha Babes club. She also generated enough charisma to figure into the Beach Beauty shortlist. But she seemed to be fizzling a bit as the pageant wears on—for instance I’m turned off a bit by her look during the Top Model fast-track event. Nevertheless, still I regard her as a serious contender.

ECUADOR – Gabriela Maria Ulloa. Here is a worthwhile mulatta looker who would’ve made more serious inroads in a less competitive year. But with this group, a creditable showing is her best prospect.

Now, let me trot out my personal leaderboard to show you how I regarded the first batch of contestants:

TOP CONTENDERS: BARBADOS

SHOO-IN: CANADA

LIKELIEST: ANGOLA, BELGIUM, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, CROATIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

EXCELLENT: ALBANIA, ARUBA, BELARUS, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, COTE D’IVOIRE, ECUADOR

CHARM FACTOR: BAHAMAS

VERY STRONG: AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA

STRONG: ARGENTINA, BOTSWANA, CURACAO

VERY GOOD: CYPRUS

GOOD: BELIZE

FAIR: BULGARIA, DENMARK

COMING UP: EGYPT TO KOREA

 

These are the sole opinions of the authors and are not the opinions of GlobalBeauties.com or its owners.