Because Miss Grand International's finals was being staged merely a day before the Miss International finals, I didn't have time or energy to do a full-blown homestretch review, so I am only doing this "Fearful" Forecast and then do a full-fledged delegates' review after the coronation (and this time I vow to fulfill my promise). That being said, you can always rely this pageant to provide an immersive cultural experience for the delegates as they do a grand tour of traditional cultural attractions in Japan, like Niigata, Kamakura, and others. They continue with the requirement for the delegates to submit Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) videos that showcase the contestants' advocacies and this year, we are treated to glossy Victoria's Secret-style photoshoots and are prompt in releasing them to the public. There's even glossy introduction videos in that style which you can access via Instagram or Facebook. Like last year, three of the Top 15 slots would be decided by popular vote--the winner for each region (Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe/Africa) would have a fast-track ticket to te semifinal--this actually explained the breakthrough enjoyed by Northern Marianas last year, as somehow she was able to drum up fan support to garner her slot. Like in the three most recent editions (2018, 2019 and 2022), there is a preliminary competition--this time instead of street fashion, they now feature an actual interview round (though it's basically structured as a single question which the delegate would then give a speech about) with the delegates clad in interview-appropriate wardrobe, then the swimsuit competition. So for the grand final, expect them to follow last year's format of all delegates appearing in national costumes and evening gowns, then the Top 15 who will then parade in swimsuits and evening gown. But this year, they reduce the finalist roster from eight to seven, and from there the five-member royal court would be decided.
There were 73 delegates initially confirmed, which could've made it the 3rd highest rurnout in a tie with the 2014 edition, but unfortunately three delegates could not show up. This reduces the roster to 70, which is still a high turnout, a tie for 4th alongside 2010 and 2015. So who were the three withdrawals/no-shows?
ALBANIA - Birgitte Pitarki. Based on her submitted coronation photo, she registers as someone who has heavy cosmetic procedures done. I know the predominantly Japanese judges would prefer more natural-looking ladies.
SOMALIA - Iqra Ahmed Hassan. She would've made an auspicious debut for her country and also being the first delegate wearing a hijab. With the presence of BANGLADESH in this competition, they would no doubt make some accommodations for her when it comes to the swimsuit round to suit her community's modesty standards. I have a feeling she would've been a sensation and maybe block out COTE D'IVOIRE's Top 15 prospects in the process.
UKRAINE - Sofia Zghroba. This 18-year-old brunette ingenue is the last one to withdraw as they seemed to be waiting for her, but in the end, she's a no-show. She has a very pretty face, but I'm not sure if she has polished catwalk skills to make an impact.
It's interesting among the 70 delegates actually competing, the country of the reigning winner, Jasmin Selberg, is absent--GERMANY somehow did not field a delegate this year. Is this a reflection that for most European franchises, delegates have to rely on their own to get the support that they needed? I suppose a consolation is that a country that rarely appears in this pageant, ESTONIA, is competing this time--Jasmin is half-Estonian.
Now, let me trot out my leaderboard:
TOP CONTENDERS: COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NEW ZEALAND, VENEZUELA
SHOO-INS: COTE D'IVOIRE, CZECH REPUBLIC, PARAGUAY, PERU, PHILIPPINES, PUERTO RICO, THAILAND,
LIKELIEST: ANGOLA, BELGIUM, CAMBODIA, CANADA, CHILE, COSTA RICA, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, FINLAND, GREECE, GUATEMALA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAMAICA, JAPAN, LAOS, MEXICO, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, NETHERLANDS, NICARAGUA, NIGERIA, PANAMA, POLAND, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, TAIWAN, UNITED KINGDOM, U S A, VIETNAM, ZIMBABWE
POPULAR VOTE FACTOR: BANGLADESH, FRANCE, TUNISIA
EXCELLENT: AUSTRALIA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, HONG KONG, KOREA, LITHUANIA, MACAU, MALAYSIA, MARTINIQUE, MYANMAR, PAKISTAN, SERBIA,
VERY STRONG: GHANA, HAWAII, LESOTHO, MAURITIUS, SINGAPORE, SRI LANKA, UGANDA,
STRONG: NORWAY, PORTUGAL
And here is my "Fearful" Forecast:
FINAL FIVE: COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NEW ZEALAND, PHILIPPINES, VENEZUELA
FINAL SEVEN: COTE D'IVOIRE, THAILAND,
TOP 15: CZECH REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, MEXICO, PARAGUAY, PERU, PUERTO RICO, U S A
BUBBLING UNDER: ANGOLA, BELGIUM, CAMBODIA, CANADA, CHILE, COSTA RICA, ECUADOR, FINLAND, GREECE, GUATEMALA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAMAICA, JAPAN, LAOS, MEXICO, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, NETHERLANDS, NICARAGUA, NIGERIA, PANAMA, POLAND, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, TAIWAN, UNITED KINGDOM, VIETNAM, ZIMBABWE
STRIKING DISTANCE: AUSTRALIA, BANGLADESH, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, FRANCE, HONG KONG, KOREA, LITHUANIA, MACAU, MALAYSIA, MARTINIQUE, MYANMAR, PAKISTAN, SERBIA, TUNISIA
It seems like it's a four-way battle for the crown, with COLOMBIA (Sofia Osío) looking poised to bring forth her country's 4th crown, to break out of a six-way tie for 3rd place in terms of most crowns won. but do not count out VENEZUELA (Andrea Rubio) in their attempt to extend their status as the winningest country in this pageant, or NEW ZEALAND (Georgia Waddington) giving her country its 2nd win after 52 years, or DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Yamilex Hernandez) delivering her country its first win. But then there might be an out-of-left-field surprise underway, like last year. For those who have the stamina, let's watch it all unfold this afternoon.
JUST ME!
JOSEPH
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