This year's Miss Universe delegates feature a whole host of veterans who saw action in other major international pageants that this could be seen like an all-star edtiion, like 2004. There are also some interesting trends this year, like blonde Latinas, comely Europeans, and Europeans of color. Plus, there is a seesaw battle brewing among ladies we can classify as "Confidently Beautiful" and the less conventional lookers who are "Beautifully Confident". Which would prevail? Without further ado, let's begin with...
ALBANIA - Deta Kokomani. She is good looking and solid onstage, but with a batch like this one, she is not making major impact or generating major buzz.
ANGOLA - Swelia Da Silva Antonio. She made the Top 12 at Miss Supranational 2021 representing the Netherlands. She is performing at a high caliber but there are only 16 slots available and this is a highly competitive batch. I'm rooting for her to succeed and would be very happy if she makes the cut.
ARGENTINA - Barbara Cabrera. She's solid onstage and has a trim figure but she's not conventionally pretty, so she's more of an also-ran with this stratified a batch.
ARMENIA - Kristina Ayanian. Based on her bio, it seems she's actually based in the US. Still, we cannot deny her pride for her heritage and she proved to be a solid contender.
ARUBA - Kiara Arends. I like this lady better than her predecessor, Thessaly Zimmerman, who made the Top 10. But it's going to be a challenge for this lady to equal or exceed Thessaly's showing with a stellar group of ladies in this batch. Some pageant fans and pundits are divided about her preliminary competition performance--some find her still competing at a high level, but there are some who are critical about her choices. Let's see if there's room for her in the Top 16.
AUSTRALIA - Monique Riley. See ALBANIA. She's cute.
BAHRAIN - Evlin Khalifa. After its debut last year, this country is fielding a highly competitive contender who has good looks and strong stage presence. She has Filipino trainers who she doesn't hesitate to thank. For the swimsuit round, in deference to her country's conservative values she sported a full bodysuit which still highlights how trim her figure is. And she delivered drama in the evening gown round as her gown came with a hood which approximates the veil worn by many practicing female Muslims. It will not be that surprising if she will make a breakthrough for her country and make the Top 16.
BELGIUM - Chayanne Van Aarle. She may not be receiving much buzz, but she actually delivered a strong performance in the preliminary competition. In many ways, she is like her most recent Miss Earth counterpart, Daphne Nivelles, who made Top Eight there, though most are not expecting her to deliver a similar finish with this rarefied level of competition.
BELIZE - Ashley Lightburn. She does have a bright, cheerful smile, and generally solid onstage but she's obviously in an uphill battle with the bevy of gorgeous contenders out there.
BHUTAN - Tashi Choden. It's nice to see this normally isolated Himalayan country debut in this pageant, though it is not the first time this country competed in a major international pageant ever--that honor goes to 2008 at Miss Earth with Tsokye Karchung. This lady acquitted herself well, as there is very little to fault about her performance--it may not be as impactful as other standouts out there but she held her own so she should be considered a worthwhile contender.
BOLIVIA - Camila Sanabria. She previously competed at Miss Grand International last October and was slated to compete in Miss Supranational 2023. However, because the original Miss Universe representative, Fernanda Pavisic was dethroned because of offensive remarks she made about other delegates, this lady earned to right to compete here also. I have a feeling she'll encounter the same outcome at Miss Grand International, missing the final cut as she's solid but not making major impact.
BRAZIL - Mia Mamede. She's not conventionally pretty, but she has a good figure and strong stage presence and her big ace is her superb communication skills honed by her extensive media background. She definitely embodies the "Beautifully Confident" motto, but does this mean there is a Top 16 slot for her?
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - Lia Claxton. She has a trim figure and is reasonably polished but she's going to face an extremely uphill battle to be considered for the Top 16.
BULGARIA - Kristina Plamenova. She is fit, though compared to the other contenders out there she's slightly on the thicker side. Considering the current shape of the reigning Miss Universe, this will not be considered a penalty, though her raw stage and catwalk skills make her one of the weakest links in this batch.
COMING UP: CAMBODIA to EL SALVADOR
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