NETHERLANDS - Ona Moody. In a parallel to batch 2004, it seems this lady is channeling Israel's Gal Gadot,*8 especially with her mass of wavy curls. She's not as conventionally pretty as Gal, though, but she makes up for it with a competitive drive which Gal deliberately lacked*9 during her stint. Her styling was on point, but her biggest highlight was her cheeky national costume, as she was dressed as a Stroopwafel, a famous waffle-like cookie from this country.
*8 It turns out Gal became the most famous alumni out of batch 2004, as she garnered global fame and acclaim for playing Wonder Woman in multiple movies in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and continuing to have a high profile Hollywood career because of that.
*9 Gal later recounted that she in a way sabotaged her prospects during her Miss Universe stint as she had no intention of winning.
NICARAGUA - Norma Huembes. Of the Latina blondes in this year's batch, she's one of those who perform solidly but did not generate much impact.
NIGERIA - Hannah Inbhogbe. She started garnering heavy buzz when she set foot in New Orleans and she proved she is putting up a good fight amidst a formidable batch as she performed at a high level in the preliminary competition. It is very crowded pack scrambling for one of the Top 16 slots but this lady is in good contention.
NORWAY - Ida Hauan. She may not be as sleek as many of her competitors, but she exudes a gorgeous, refreshing vibe that it's conceivable she could charm the selection committee and pull off a sleeper surprise, almost similar to the way her counterpart at Miss Earth, Lilly Sødal, did late last November for a Top 20 placement.
PANAMA - Solaris Barba. She was noted for finishing at the Top 12 at Miss World 2018 and garnering the Miss World - Americas title*10. It seems the qualities that helped her deliver that surprising but lofty finish at Miss World are very much in play here, but with this lady adjusting well with this pageant's requirements as she proved to have strong stage presence and catwalk skills.
PARAGUAY - Lia Ashmore. See NICARAGUA, but with a sleeker image.
PERU - Alessia Rovegno. She's been highly touted by many pageant fans and pundits, and many deemed her performance during the preliminary competition Top 16 worthy. Though I agree she performed at a high level, my attention tends to be focused towards other contenders even if I won't object if she was announced as a semifinalist.
PHILIPPINES - Celeste Cortesi. She possesses this beauty and charisma that is very undeniable, that even if many Filipino pageant fans and pundits debate if she delivered to her maximum potential during the preliminary competition, I'm still convinced that she is one of the shoo-ins to make the Top 16 and is still a major contender to make the Final Five. I thought she was top-notch in the swimsuit round, and although yes, her blue gown was a relatively simple design, it still was elevated by Celeste's charismatic presence. Needless to say, I think she way exceeded what she did at Miss Earth 2018, where she ended up in the Top Eight.
POLAND - Aleksandra Klepaczka. She would've made more serious inroads and have an inside track to the Top 16 in a less competitive year, but with this sterling batch though she was performing at a high level, she was overshadowed by so many other stars.
PORTUGAL - Telma Madeira. She's another member of Miss Earth batch 2018 making a serious play here.*11 But unlike Celeste who leveled up significantly here, this lady is not quite ramping up to compellingly secure a Top 16 placement. It's still highly possible, but this is such a fierce batch that it will boil down to the tastes of the selection committee members.
*11 Last year, there's the opening salvo by Colombia's Valeria Ayos, who was Miss Earth-Water in 2018 and finished in the Final Five in this pageant. This December, Venezuela will also be fielding an alumni from this batch, Diana Silva, who also finished Top Eight finisher alongside Celeste and Telma.
PUERTO RICO - Ashley Cariño. Many pageant fans and pundits are hyping her as one of the biggest front-runners and the hype was sustained based on her preliminary competition performance. I initially wasn't part of her bandwagon as I don't really find her classically pretty, but watching her preliminary competition performance and learning about her background as an astrophysicist and her advocacy to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education for females alongside her sterling communication skills, I do get why she's deemed a possible crown contender. She definitely embodies the motto, "Beautifully Confident"
RUSSIA - Anna Linnikova. She's a gorgeous blonde with strong stage chops. If it weren't for the state of global affairs involving her country, she would've been taken into higher regard as a Top 16 possibility.
SAINT LUCIA - Sheris Paul. In a less competitive year, she would be a middle-of-the-pack performer, but with this batch she is at the back of the pack.
SEYCHELLES - Gabriella Gonthier. It's nice to see this country back in this pageant after a 27-year absence. She's attractive though not as polished as other major contenders out there.
COMING UP: SINGAPORE to VIETNAM plus the "FEARFUL" FORECAST
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