Miss Universe 2022 - Meet the candidates (Albania to Finland)
Miss Universe 2022, the 71st edition, will be crowned on January 14th, in New Orleans Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Meet the candidates, with some exclusive data, opinions, and information. This is Group 1, from Albania to Finland.
ALBANIA - Deta Kokomani
Deta Kokomani is a pharmacy student and a professional pianist. She has always loved to mix the arts of science and beauty and learn new things.
Debut: 2022
Best placement: Top 10 (2002 and 2010)
Last placement: 2019
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 66th
GB comment: Deta is quite beautiful and has the potential to grow on the list of favorites for the crown.
ANGOLA - Swelia António
Swelia Da Silva Antonio is a student of life who believes in togetherness as the key to bridging the gap between people and societies. She became the first in her family to graduate with a Master of Science degree in a third language. Swelia competed in Miss Supranational 2021 representing the Netherlands and placed in the Top 12.
Debut: 1998
Best placement: Winner (2011)
Last placement: 2011
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 42nd
GB comment: Swelia´s radiant personality and beauty were evident when she competed for the Netherlands in Miss Supranational and conquered an excellent placement (Top 12 semi-finalist). With her, Angola could place in Miss Universe for the first time since 2011, when Leila Lopes went all the way to become Miss Universe, in São Paulo, Brazil.
ARGENTINA - Bárbara Cabrera
Barbara Cabrera is passionate about fashion. She’s not only a professional model but the owner and creative director of her own women’s clothing brand in Argentina, “BÁRBARA CABRERA Buenos Aires.”
Debut: 1954
Best placement: Winner (1962)
Last placement: 2020
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 24th
GB comment: Bárbara was a “lucky charm” for Messi and company in Qatar, where she attended several matches, including the final, cheering for the new FIFA World Cup champions. Argentina will have a tougher time in New Orleans, but Bárbara will certainly give her best to beat the odds and succeed.
ARMENIA - Kristina Ayanian
Kristina Ayanian comes from a refugee family and grew up as the only child of a single mother. Because of her family’s experience, Ayanian works vigorously to achieve excellence as a musician, mentor, professional, and philanthropist. She competed in Miss Grand International 2021, in Thailand.
Debut: 2018
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 134th
GB comment: Krystina marked her participation in Miss Grand International 1 year ago when during the swimsuit preliminary competition she tripped over her own shoes, removed them, and keep walking on the runway to enthusiastic applause from the Thai fans! Her personality is, without a doubt, her strongest point!
ARUBA - Kiara Arends
Kiara Arends has a Bachelor's of Laws degree with minors in Business and Tax Laws and has worked as an intern at a renowned corporate law firm in Aruba. Arends moved to Belgium at the age of 22 to pursue her Master's of Laws degree, specializing in International Business Trade and Tax law.
Debut: 1964
Best placement: 2nd (1996)
Last placement: 2021
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 59th
GB comment: Aruba has surprisingly made it to the Top 10 last year (a good surprise, we must point out!). This time around, Kiara is expected by many to do well, having a fair chance to place among the quarter or semi-finalists.
AUSTRALIA - Monique Riley
Riley has a Bachelor's in Creative Industries degree with a focus on Fashion and Acting. Very athletic, Miss Universe Australia is passionate about health and looking after one’s body.
Debut: 1952
Best placement: Winner (1972 and 2004)
Last placement: 2020
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 12th
GB comment: The very athletic Miss Australia resembles MGI finalist Lala Guedes of Brazil (2020) in some pictures. We love her energy and platform, raising awareness about the importance of the practice of exercise. Eye on her.
BAHRAIN - Evlin Khalifa
Evlin Khalifa is a pianist and a taekwondo artist who dreams that someday women from the Arab Region will have more international representation in media including Disney films, Hollywood shows, and on the MISS UNIVERSE stage. Khalifa works closely with Smile Train in the Persian Gulf to spread awareness about children with cleft palates.
Debut: 2021
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 153rd
GB comment: The second woman from Bahrain to compete in Miss Universe has a beautiful face and is not afraid to raise the flag of the importance of education for Arab women. Right now we see her fighting for a Top 20 spot.
BELGIUM - Chayenne Van Aarle
Chayenne Van Aarle is a passionate singer, actor, host, and fan of all things in showbiz. She has a degree in public relations and specialized as a wedding planner. In her career as a flight attendant, she visited much of the world.
Debut: 1952
Best placement: 5th (1981)
Last placement: 2018
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 35th
GB comment: It looks like Chayenne could easily be cast for an American soap opera with her sophisticated and fierce look! She has traveled the world and certainly has lots to tell the MU judges and the Universe.
BELIZE - Ashley Lightburn
Ashley Lightburn is a proud woman in STEM, and she lends those skills as a mathematics lecturer at the University of Belize while also working a full-time job at a bank. As a strong advocate for the improvement of mathematics literacy among women and children, Lightburn volunteers in high schools and after-school programs to pass on her knowledge and encourage future generations.
Debut: 1975
Best placement: Top 12 (1979)
Last placement: 1979
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 94th
GB comment: We love her relaxed and cool vibe and passion for education. If Ashley delivers a strong preliminary interview, and we think she will do it, she could pull a surprise on January 14th.
BHUTAN - Tashi Choden
Tashi Choden comes from a country that’s often considered “the last Shangri-La on Earth.” Here to make Bhutan’s debut and make their mark, openly gay Choden is a spokesperson and advocate for LGBTQI rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
Debut: 2022
Best placement: first-timer
Last placement: first-timer
GB Miss Universe Ranking: to be ranked after the 2022 edition
GB comment: Bhutan debuts in Miss Universe with an openly gay woman who fights for LGBTQI rights and gender equality in her country. We love her national costume and its message: “You do not just wake up and become a butterfly. Growth is a process.
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BOLIVIA - Camila Sanabria
Camila has a degree in business administration and a master's degree in marketing and business management. She competed in Miss Grand International earlier this year and took over the title of Miss Universe Bolivia after the original winner was dethroned.
Debut: 1959
Best placement: Top 6 finalist (1990)
Last placement: 2006 (Top 10)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 68th
GB comment: As we´ve commented when Camila competed in MGI, we love her beauty, which resembles that of Italian actress Claudia Cardinale when young. What should she do differently from her Grand performance? Camila should believe in her potential, acting as a major player, instead of a supporting role. She got the look and the potential and we hope to see her shining in New Orleans.
BRAZIL - Mia Mamede
The first woman from the state of Espírito Santo to be crowned Miss Universe Brazil, Mia was raised in the Middle East and lived in the United States. She graduated from New York University in Audiovisual Journalism and Socioeconomics and is a social activist. Mia speaks fluent English.
Debut: 1954
Best placement: 2 Winners (1963 and 1968)
Last placement: 2020 (2nd)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 4th
GB comment: Mia rocks when she´s given a microphone! Raised abroad, her English is fluent and she has great experience as a presenter, in addition to being activate in a series of social and environment causes. If she nails her gown choice and performance, we believe Brazil will be back in the game in Miss Universe, with the potential to reach the Top 10 or even further.
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - Lia Claxton
Lia was raised in the village of Long Look, on the island of Tortola. A track & field athlete, she affirms that the sport taught her to be focused and resilient in order to push through failures and disappointment, even when physically and emotionally draining.
Debut: 1977
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 104th
GB comment: It´s lovely to see that Miss Universe BVI cares about the youth of her archipelago, motivating the practice of sports. Great attitude!
BULGARIA - Kristina Plamenova
Kristina has a master’s degree in law from the University of National and World Economy and is currently studying software engineering. She advocates for action on climate change and is an ambassador for a campaign against air pollution.
Debut: 1991
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 107th
GB comment: Kristina is very active on social media. Let´s see if she can pull a surprise and become the first woman from her country to place in Miss Universe.
CAMBODIA - Manita Hang
Manita Hang is a 24-year-old Khmer-French model who became the first bi-racial representative of her country in Miss Universe. She currently works as a finance officer in a multinational firm and holds a degree in Accounting and Finance.
Debut: 2017
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 131st
GB comment: She made waves on the internet with her beauty, which is undeniable, when elected Miss Universe Cambodia. Cambodia is an emergent pageant market in Southeast Asia, where fans are truly behind their beauty queens. We believe she could easily land, the least to say, in the Top 20.
CAMEROON - Monalisa Mouketey
Mouketey defines herself as extremely sociable and has a great love for people. She is also very strategic in decision-making. She is especially passionate about helping children.
Debut: 2020
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 146th
GB comment: Mouketey is the third representative of Cameroon in Miss Universe. We love her energy!
CANADA - Amelia Tu
Amelia Tu is currently pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree in Biology and Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She is passionate about environmental sustainability and has established her company called Organic Code.
Debut: 1952
Best placement: 2 winners (1982 and 2005)
Last placement: 2018
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 15th
GB comment: A Canadian beauty with Chinese roots, Amelia is go-oriented and has accomplished a lot for someone who´s only 21 years old.
CAYMAN ISLANDS - Chloe Powery-Doxey
Chloe Powery-Doxey has always had a passion for sports and the arts. She has played basketball for 17 years as both a hobby and professionally. She has played with the Women of Valor Basketball Club and the Cayman Islands National Team, earning two championship wins in 2013 and 2021. She placed 2nd in Miss Universe Cayman Islands and replaced the winner.
Debut: 1980
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 106th
GB comment: When asked to replace the original winner of Miss Universe Cayman Islands, Chloe took the opportunity to represent her nation in Miss Universe with full passion. She will try to become the first Miss Universe Cayman Islands to place in Miss U, which won´t be an easy task.
CHILE - Sofia Depassier
Born in Chile, Sofia moved to the USA when she was 10. She created the project “Universe Without Frontiers,” the focus of which is to provide the necessary tools for children and young people in need of guidance after moving to a new country.
Debut: 1952
Best placement: Winner (1987)
Last placement: 2004
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 29th
GB comment: What´s up with Chile and Miss Universe?? In recent years this South American country has been sending excellent candidates to this pageant, and Sofia is no exception! We hope Chile finally breaks through to have a quarter or semi-finalist for the first time in long 18 years. It´s long due, Miss U!
CHINA - Jiang Sichen
Sichen Jiang, but you can call her Alice, was previously an investment banking analyst and has also worked as a valuation and modeling analyst in the merger and acquisition department. She graduated from the University of Cambridge in Real Estate Finance and the University of Manchester in Accounting and Finance.
Debut: 2002
Best placement: 3rd (2002)
Last placement: 2017
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 58th
GB comment: The first advice we would give to Miss Universe China is to get an Instagram account. This is the social media era and MUO certainly expects that. This is a well-accomplished young woman who should score hight in the preliminary interview competition.
COLOMBIA - María Fernanda Aristizábal
María Fernanda Aristizabál, from Quindío, is a motivational speaker, model, and influencer with a degree in media and journalism. She won the Señorita Colombia title in 2019, right before the coronavirus pandemic, and this year was acclaimed Miss Universe Colombia.
Debut: 1958
Best placement: 2 winners (1958, 2014)
Last placement: 2021 (Top 5)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 3rd
GB comment: Maria Fernanda is a major favorite for the crown. Her fans have been waiting for this moment for over three years, and finally, it´s here. She has it all and could be Colombia´s third Miss Universe.
COSTA RICA - Fernanda Rodríguez
Maria Fernanda Rodriguez Ávila is a civil engineer with a passion for languages. She recently graduated in Portuguese. Fernanda is also a sports enthusiast and practices mixed martial arts, ballet, and swimming.
Debut: 1954
Best placement: Top 10
Last placement: 2020
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 54th
GB comment: In a strong group of Latin candidates, Fernanda from Costa Rica stands out with a beautiful face and a great CV. Let´s keep an eye on her.
CROATIA - Arijana Podgajski
Arijana Podgajski is a proud student of economics and management at Zagreb School of Economics and Management. She is passionate about education as she believes it is the base for professional life, opens doors to better possibilities, and provides people with professional networks.
Debut: 1997
Best placement: quarter-finalist
Last placement: 2019
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 70th
GB comment: Miss Croatia has a very pretty face and is on that list of candidates who, depending on how they perform, could pull a surprise on January 14th.
CURAÇAO - Gabriëla Dos Santos
Gabriëla Dos Santos is a certified life coach who speaks four languages; English, Spanish, Dutch, and Papiamentu. She has visited over ten countries and is passionate about kickboxing, modeling, traveling, and nature as well as helping others to reach their full potential.
Debut: 1963
Best placement: 2nd (1968)
Last placement: 2020
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 38th
GB comment: The small island nation of Curaçao has produced some big names in pageantry, especially in Miss Universe, and Gabriela could be next. She´s quite stunning and many expect her to go as far as placing in the Top 10.
CZECH REPUBLIC - Sára Mikulenková
Sára Mikulenková is a positive, helpful, and kind person. In 2021, she passed maturita exam at a pedagogical school and now she works as a teacher. She also has a cosmetic certificate, which has empowered her to help other women look and feel their best.
Debut: 1970
Best placement: Top 10
Last placement: 2010
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 47th
GB comment: The Czech Republic hasn´t placed in Miss Universe since 2010, and Sara has been working hard to end this long drought. She´s beautiful, but it will depend on her well she does in the preliminary rounds.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Andreína Martínez
Andreína Martínez draws courage and inspiration from her unique Dominican and U.S dual-citizenship and migrating story. At the age of 13 and without the ability to speak a single word of English, Martínez moved from a rural part of the Dominican Republic to face the urban challenges of the Bronx in New York City.
Debut: 1956
Best placement: winner (2003)
Last placement: 2020 (5th)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 27th
GB comment: The Dominican Republic has been doing consistently well in Miss Universe in the new millennium and Andreina is expected to be no exception. We believe she will be, at lest, in the Top 20.
ECUADOR - Nayelhi González
Nayelhi González was born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, a wonderful land full of tradition and history. She is the firstborn in a household that welcomed her with love and joy. As she grew up, so too did her passion and talent for singing. Her and her grandmother enjoyed singing all types of songs. Thanks to her family, she became an enthusiast for painting and developed a love for animals and sports.
Debut: 1955
Best placement: 3rd (2013)
Last placement: 3rd (2013)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 64th
GB comment: Ecuador´s runway skills are extraordinary, very powerful. This runway magnetism combined with her life story and exotic looks, could mean that Ecuador does have a fair chance to make the cut again for the first time in nine years.
EL SALVADOR - Alejandra Guajardo
Alejandra Guajardo takes every opportunity close to her heart. She is immensely grateful for all the motivation and love she receives from her loved ones and supporters. She has a degree in International Business, and her profound sales skills date back to when she was just five years old and began selling hand-crafted stones to her neighbors.
Debut: 1954
Best placement: 3rd (1955)
Last placement: 1996 (top 10)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 55th
GB comment: El Salvador has a well-accomplished young woman competing in Miss Universe this year. The last time ES had a semi-finalist in Miss Universe was back in 1996.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Alba Isabel Obama
Alba Isabel Obama Moliko is a 21-year-old law student in Equatorial Guinea. She was Miss Supranational Equatorial Guinea in 2019 in which she also won a Supramodel award from Africa. She has participated in the international African textile show where she also took home the top model of Africa award. She is the director and a model monitor of the television program "Equatorial Guinea Top Model."
Debut: 2019
Best placement: unplaced
Last placement: never placed
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 146th
GB comment: We love the versatile beauty of Miss Equatorial Guinea! Some of her Instagram photos are amazing (like the one above!), she´s poised and brings lots of experience from her participation in another Grand Slam event: Miss Supranational 2019. Let´s keep an eye on her!
FINLAND - Petra Hämäläinen
Petra Hämäläinen studies at the University of Eastern Finland and is currently finalizing her master's thesis in educational science. Petra has completed her Bachelor's of Educational Sciences and she is soon to be a teacher.
Debut: 1952
Best placement: 2 winners (1952 and 1975)
Last placement: 1996 (3rd)
GB Miss Universe Ranking: 11th
GB comment: Once a major pageant powerhouse, Finland has been struggling in Miss Universe since 1996, the last time it made it through the finals and reached an honorable 3rd place. Petra has a radiant personality and we hope she has been properly prepared to take Finland far on the competition once again!