As predicted Miss Mexico Jimenza Navarrete was crowned Miss Universe 2010. Also predicted 8 out of the 15 semifinalists (plus 3 alternates making the cut). Interestingly USA and Venezuela both didn’t make the cut.

This year’s web coverage has been awesome, with social media pretty much in the mix. There is coverage on Twitter and Facebook, and the Miss Universe pageant is doing a great job posting tons of videos on YouTube and offering live streams via USTREAM.

As usual here’s what my batting average over the last 9 years has been like:

2001: Predicted Miss Universe. 7 out of 10 finalists
2002: Predicted Miss Universe. 6 out of 10 finalists
2003: 12 out of 15 finalists
2004: 10 out of 15 finalists?2005: 11 out of 15 finalists
2006: Predicted Miss Universe. 12 out of 20 finalists
2007: My Miss U pick is 3rd Runner-up. 7 out of 15 finalists (11 counting alternates)
2008: Predicted Miss Universe. 10 out of 15 finalists
2009: My Miss U pick is 1st Runner Up. 9 out of 15 finalists
This year had a superb batch of delegates. A very superb batch compared to what we’ve seen in previous years. The stand outs for me are my Top 4. I’m quite certain that one of these four ladies will take home the next Miss Universe crown this year. But I can only choose two girls one Gut Pick and one Personal Pick.

1. GUT PICK: Mexico: Based on her performance throughout the pageant and during last week’s preliminary competition, the Miss Universe 2010 title is Jimena Navarrete’s to win. She delivered two strong performances during the prelims, I don’t think she needs to change anything at all. All she really needs to do is to win is sustain the momentum going into tonight’s pageant, and keep it cool during the final question. Coincidentally the last time Mexico won at Miss Universe the pageant was also held in Las Vegas.

1. MY PICK: Philippines: I am usually harder on Filipino delegates and subject them to even more intense scrutiny then the other delegates. But this time around allow me the rare opportunity to put a Filipina on top of my list. At first I thought she was just Trump card material having been flown in early to participate in the Miss Universe promotional tour. But as the pageant progressed Venus Raj got stronger and stronger. Although I’m not hot about her prelims evening gown choice, and a bit wary how well she will perform during the final question, Venus should have enough fire in her to take her all the way to the title. I have my toes and fingers crossed.

3. Ireland: Another strong contender Rozanna Purcell is for me the most stunning delegate in the entire competition, reminding me a lot of Angelina Jolie. She trails Mexico just by a tad bit in terms of being my gut pick. She totally rocked the preliminary swimsuit competition – by far she was one of the strongest there. Consider her a shoo in for the final five and a possible winner. I wouldn’t be surprised.

4. Venezuela: Most pageant experts don’t have Marelisa Gibson this high on their list. In fact some don’t even have her on it. But I know better, never count Venezuela out. And I am usually right, last year when people had counted Stefania out, I was one of the few to say she might win the first back to back Miss Universe title for Venezuela, and she did. I love Marelisa’s fresh look and bubbly personality, definitely a plus for any Miss Universe, and basing on the past few winners, am sure its what the organization is looking for also. A three year in a row streak is possible.

The rest of my picks are as follows.

5. USA: Not your typical pageant queen, but a fierce competitor, Rima Fakih is the hometown favorite and has that going for her. She has been styled superbly throughout I think her chances of making the Top 5 are high, but I don’t think she will win the pageant.

6. Colombia: Not drop dead gorgeous, but very sexy and beautiful nonetheless and with a tremendous presence both on stage and in photos. Colombia always makes the semis on even numbered years, I see no reason why Natalia Navarro won’t.

7. Puerto Rico: Well prepared and strong overall I think Mariana Paola Vicente is a shoo in for the top 10. Aside from the Puerto Rico preparation, she carries herself very confidently and is eloquent. Her English is a plus.

8 Jamaica: Tall and bubbly are the words I’d use to describe this pageant veteran. A Miss World semifinalist in 2007 Yendi Philipps made a strong case during the prelims, she’s hard to miss.

9 Dominican Republic: Eva Arias got mixed reviews form pageant pundits, some go as far as saying she has masculine features but I think she’s a strong contender, and will perform very well if she gets into the Top 15. Definitely Top 10 material.

10 Peru: Always below the radar until the preliminary pageant where she shined.
11 Japan: Well prepared and very stylish.
12 Ukraine: Elegant. Did well during prelims. Possible Trump Card.
13 Israel: Gut feel.
14 France: Lovely evening gown.
15 Haiti: Trump Card a great political statement in light of what happened to her country last year.

ANY OF THE FF WOULD MAKE AWESOME ALTERNATES (alphabetical order):

Albania
Brazil
Ghana
Great Britain
Netherlands
Paraguay
Russia
South Africa
Trinidad & Tobago
Thailand

Busy, busy. BUT will be posting my usual predictions 24 hours before the pageant. Stay tuned.

TOP 5

Dominican Republic
Australia
Puerto Rico
Venezuela
Kosovo

MISS PHOTOGENIC: THAILAND
MISS CONGENIALITY: CHINA

Special Awardees didn’t even get trophies this year.

New Crown will be PEACE.

TOP 10

Australia
Venezuela
South Africa
Dominican Republic
Kosovo
Czech Republic
Switzerland
Puerto Rico
USA
France

8/10 Very Good!

TOP 15

Puerto Rico
Iceland
Albania
Czech Republic
Belgium
Dominican Republic
Sweden
Kosovo
Australia
France
Switzerland
South Africa
USA
Croatia
Venezuela

Shocking No Asians in the Top 15 This Year. I can see how Kosovo, Iceland, and Sweden got in. But not really convinced about Albania, Croatia and Switzerland. Still shocked about no Asian making the cut. This is bad, really bad. Considering how well Indonesia did.

My batting average is 9/15 this year. Not as good as last year but better than 2007. The important thing is that my top 4 are still there.

To be completely honest with you I still consider myself an outsider in the pageant coverage circle. I don’t do any year round kind of coverage that most if not all pageant experts do. And I can’t really name, names of former contestants and match that to what they did or how they walked, etc. I do however have an interest in watching the pageant and making a game out of guessing (intelligently) who makes the cut to the Top 15.

In the 9 years that I have been doing this I would like to think that I have a pretty good track record as detailed below.

2001: Predicted Miss Universe. 7 out of 10 finalists
2002: Predicted Miss Universe. 6 out of 10 finalists
2003: 12 out of 15 finalists
2004: 10 out of 15 finalists
2005: 11 out of 15 finalists
2006: Predicted Miss Universe. 12 out of 20 finalists
2007: 7 out of 15 finalists (11 counting alternates)
2008: Predicted Miss Universe. 10 out of 15 finalists

So how do I do this? Like I said I make intelligent guesses based on a couple of factors.

First is how well a delegate performed during the preliminary competition. The preliminaries are basically a long swimsuit and evening gown competition, a grueling 2-3 hour event where each of the 82 delegates parades on stage one after the other. As you can imagine you have to stand out to get through and make the cut. This year the preliminary competition was broadcast live via U-Stream making reasonably good quality versions available on the web. This gave most pageant fans a chance to make better choices when selecting their winners.

Other factors that we don’t get to see however but are equally as important is the panel interview – where delegates meet with the preliminary judges and are asked a series of questions. The pageant organizers are also given a free hand at selecting some of the semifinalists although this number has never been published. The so-called Trump’s discretion however is important and must be taken into consideration also. You may think that this ain’t fair – and perhaps to a certain degree it ain’t. But at the end of the day the Miss Universe title is a job – and the organization should have a say at who they select to hold the responsibility.

Having said that here are my picks for 2009.

TOP 5

1 – Dominican Republic (Gut Pick): A pageant veteran, even considered a front runner to win Ms World a few years back, Ada Aimee De la Cruz is to me the strongest delegate this year. Her long legs and trim figured make her excellent in swimsuit, and her walk is one of the best, very confident and polished. She is also undeniably very, very stunning and exudes a big presence on stage. I believe she’d make a good miss Universe. And I think its about time we have a stunning brown beauty wearing the crown don’t you think?

1 – France (My Pick): If you look closely right after Ms. Venezuela was crowned last year, she did this yeah I won reaction with her fist – a very playful gesture that was un-beauty queen like but in a good way. It showed that she had a very cool and quirky demeanor – not the pageant queen type of attitude. I see the same vibe in Chloe Mortaud. I think she’d make a great Miss Universe. She did really well in the preliminaries and am pretty sure she will sail through to the Top 5 with ease. If all goes well her natural beauty and fresh could very well give her the title. As a plus she is one of the few Ms. France’s that I‘ve seen that can speak good English.

3 – South Africa: If you take a look at her photos on the net, Tatum Keshwar doesn’t stand out if compared with other girls. But even if she isn’t the most beautiful lady in the pageant – she is striking on stage. I can’t really put my foot on it but she oozes with that all important X-Factor on stage. Coupled with good speaking skills, and a fresh demeanor. She is a strong contender for the title. I consider her a shoo in for the Top 5 as well.

4 – Venezuela: To be completely honest Stefania Fernandez didn’t do as well as expected during the preliminaries. I didn’t quite like her posture and her evening gown styling. But really if you take away all that make up, she has one of the most beautiful and fresh faces of the pageant. My wish for her is that she tones it down a bit and goes with a more natural look for the pageant. I know a lot of people have taken her off their lists but I am taking a risk and putting her as high as number 4. She has such a bubbly personality and sash-factor aside she could very well make it a back to back win for Venezuela.

5 Indonesia: Not the most gorgeous of all the Asians but I think the strongest of all the Asian delegates this year. During the preliminaries Zivanna Letisha Siregar did really well. Her long legs helped her stand out during the swimsuit competition. And she did reasonably well in the evening gown segment. I think she will do really well and can very well land in the Top 5.

TOP 10

6 – Russia: Sofia Rudyeva is classy, elegant, and sophisticated. Her web interview shows maturity and intelligence too. Having said that though there seems to have been an issue concerning racy nude photos that she took when she was 15. Based on my assessment this could hurt her chances of winning the title. However – performance wise, there is no doubt that she deserves to be in the Top 10. I’m placing her as high as 6.

7 – Australia: An early front-runner Rachael Finch of Australia’s is another one of those natural beauties, with a bubbly personality. I’d like for her to go far, but she seems to lack that certain pizzaz when on stage and I am afraid that come pageant night that will affect her chances. If she can turn it on I am quite sure she can go all the way to win the title.

8 – USA: I personally think she is a pageant patty. All her moves seem calculated – for example how she tentatively went into a spin during the evening gown preliminary competition in an attempt to get her dress to fly into the air for added drama. I must admit that Kristen Dalton is stunningly beautiful, and expect her to go far. But I don’t see her winning the title this year. I could be wrong but my guy says otherwise.

9 – Czech Republic: A tall stunning blonde Lveta Lutovska is another strong contender who underwhelmed during the preliminaries. I think however that her performance is strong enough to make it to the Top 10. She has lovely lines, a great body and a beautiful face. I am just not convinced that she has that youthful look that judges look for. Expect her to do well nonetheless.

10 – Colombia: I wish she had not cut her hair because she was stunning. But still her presence on stage more than makes up for it. Michelle Rouillard is a long shot for the title, but I expect her to get through and do well. She speaks excellent English and aside from having a great personality she seems to be very intelligent as well.

TOP 15

11 – Philippines: The entire decade has seen a drought for Miss Philippines. And even if I think she could have done much better in the semis I save a spot on my list for Bianca Manalo. She is probably the most beautiful delegate from Asia, but doesn’t have the best body to match. Her problem however was that she seems to have rushed through her preliminary walks. That aside I think she is a great delegate and perhaps also because of national pride I think she could pretty well make it. I hope she does well.

12 – Puerto Rico: When I saw videos of Mayra Matos Perez win Miss Puerto Rico I knew she would be a tough contender at this year’s pageant. But she was lack luster during the prelims. To be honest probably not enough to get into the Top 15, but I want to give her another chance, considering that other factors are in play. She was stunning when competing for her national title, if she can bring that back she can go much further. Win even.

13 – Mexico: I’m not a big fan of Karla Carrillo but her toned down, natural look during the preliminary evening gown competition made me take a second look at her. She is here to compete for sure and I think she will bring all the Latina fire to her game if she makes it. I don’t think she will perform anywhere close to her predecessor though. She tries hard but in the end I think she will miss the mark for the title.

14 – Belgium: I really hope the judges don’t overlook Zeynep Sever. She has a unique look, not the traditional pageant type – but very lovely nonetheless. I think she competed well and deserves a slot in the Top 15. Aside from her cute face, she has a great body and competed well in the swimsuit competition. Am hoping she wears something else in the evening gown though as her dress was just so-so. That’s it if she makes it that far.

15 – Japan: Most experts will say that Japan won’t make the cut. Her evening gown presentation was flawed, but she has such a stunning face. My hopes is that she gets in c/o a Trump card. If she does, I’m quite sure she will get into the top 10 and if she and changes her evening gown will make it to the Top 5 and could very well win the title.

ALTERNATES:

Any of the remaining 7 would be welcome replacements to my Top 15

Netherlands
Jamaica
Ghana
Honduras
China
Guatemala
Spain

WILD CARD:

Not my picks but would not be surprised if they made an appearance in the Top 15:

United Kingdom
Vietnam
Bahamas

One of the surprise names in this year’s Top 15 is the delegate from Hungary. Interestingly enough during last night’s final dress rehearsal Hungary was also called among the Top 15, along with eventual quarterfinalists Colombia, Czech Republic, Venezuela, Italy, Dominican Republic and South Africa. Let me present this conspiracy theory: could it be possible that the Miss Universe organization intentionally included some of the actual Top 15 delegates in the rehearsal so that they could rehearse? After all what use would a dress rehearsal be? Then to throw off viewers present, other favorites (who did not make the list) where included in the Dress Rehearsal Top 15 like they did, Thailand, India and Panama.

The gown Miss Dominican Republic wore in the pageant is the exact same gown worn by Ms. Falcon, Sin Rencor during the Miss Venezuela 2007 pageant. Miss Japan’s dress was also seen on Riyo Mori in last month’s edition of Japan’s Jane Magazine.

The Miss Universe Blog did very well predicting the outcome of the pageant, not only did our gut pick go on to win Miss Universe, we named 10 of the eventual 15 finalists better than the top pageant websites and beauty critiques out there:

Michaeljosh.com: 10
Pageant Almanac: 9
Critical Beauty: 6
Missosology: 8
Chilean Charm: 7
Global Beauties’ Janet: 7
Global Beauties Pyramid: 6
Global Beauties’ Cassandra: 5
Beauty School: 4

Dayana Menzoza, Miss Universe 2008

Photo Courtesy Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

The competition has begun.

It begins with Riyo Moring leading the delegates in a quick dance.

Now pre-taped national costume introductions. Australia was gorgeous.

Korea was also gorgeous and so was Mexico. This pre-taped national costume segment is probably the best is probably the best I’ve seen in years.

Top 15 coming up after the gap.

–COMMERCIAL BREAK–

Rice Terraces from Vietnam.

An estimated 1 Billion viewers are watching tonight.

A review of Riyo Mori’s reign as Miss Universe.

Riyo Mori arrives with a a group of Vietnamese kids. She looks awesome in a cream almost pink colored gown.

Riyo says she intends to open up a dance school, she leaves this message: “always be yourself there is nothing you cannot achieve, I did it last year, now can you too.”

Here are the top 15 in random order:

1. Venezuela – doesn’t look as good tonight
2. Kosovo – projecting real well, she’s fighting for this one
3. Mexico – awesome
4. Vietnam – haha yeah, as expected. she is lovely
5. South Africa – so far so good
6. Australia – a stunner
7. Japan – a loud scream from me
8. Dominican Republic – yes, yes
9. Italy – okay my first mistake from the top 15
10. Colombia – 9/10 on predictions so far – she looks stunning as well.
11. Russia
12. Hungary – okay surprise here
13. Czech Republic
14. USA
15. Spain

Top 15 don’t form a straight line instead they stand back to back on the catwalk.

Got 10/15 this year plus one from my alternates list. Not bad. Could have been better. But it was an awesome start, and I’m happy Japan is up there. My predictions are much better than most pageant sites out there (see this summary here) – most sites got 5-8 only.

Shocker favorites Panama, Puerto Rico and India did not make the cut!

From what I’ve seen looks like the Kosovo, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, USA and Spain are exuding the most x-factor so far.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Back.

They’re showing the Miss Universe 2008 Fashion shoot with Fadil Berisha, Behind the scenes video and then the photo of each of the Top 15 – the same ones we saw on the Miss Universe website.

Hosts are actually doing a good job. Now the judges.

Donald Trump Jr.
Nadine Velazquez
Robero Cavalli
Jennifer Hawkins
Joseph Cinque
Eesha Koppikhar
Louis Licari
Taryn Rose
Nguyen Cong Kee

Lots of plug for America’s Got Talent.

Video package featuring Vietnam.

Swimsuit competition is next.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Back Mel B. changes from a black gown to a blue one.

Swimsuit competition with special guest star Lady Gaga.

Venezuela up first. She tones it down but not good as expected. She is nervous and has too much make up on her eyes. 9.327 (EDIT: To answer a question from the comments, yes it appears the scarf got in the way of her walk, that’s why she looked a bit nervous in swimsuit, but she was still the highest)

Kosovo does ok. 8.120

Mexico is on fire. I love her. 9.071

Vietnam is doing her best. She won’t survive this round. 7.050

South Africa: 7.133

Australia – could do better walking. 7.814

Japan: 7.100

Dominican Republic – looks awesome – 8.983

Italy – 7.671

Colombia – awesome 9.433

Russia – 8.414

Hungary: 7.229

Czech Republic 7.386

scores are very low tonight

USA – also looks awesome, very HOT – 9.207

Spain – 9.150

My favorites after this competition – regardless of the scores are Mexico, Colombia and USA.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Top 15 still in swimsuit are on stage.

Top 10 in random order:

1. Kosovo
2. Australia
3. Spain
4. Mexico
5. Colombia
6. USA
7. Dominican Republic
8. Russia
9. Italy
10. Venezuela

No Asians in the Top 10. What a disappointment. But the competition is still on. Based on the swimsuit scores there are only a select few who scored 9s and higher.

Video packages showing the girls profiles.

Evening gowns next.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Mel B changes to her 3rd dress.

Video Package on Vietnam, and the delegates travels around the country.

Magic will be music for the evening gown parade.

Kosovo – changes her gown to a body hugging pink number – 8.264

Australia – reminds me more and more of Jennifer Hawkins, laid back but elegant and beautiful – 7.557

Spain – same gold dress from prelims – 8.200

Mexico – changes her gown to a white number – she looks like a goodess. Mixed feelings about this – 9.429

Colombia – same big gold dress – 9.829

USA: is late to the stage as her name is called, trips and falls for the second year in a row, she gets up claps but doesn’t recover well. this will hurt her- 8.050

Dominican Republic – same body suit from preliminaries – 9.036

Russia: This gown attempts to mimic Oxana Federova’s dress in 2002- 8.471

Italy: lousy gown and look – 7.729

Venezuela – uses the same yellow dress from preliminaries – 9.697

Colombia’s scores are way up there. The Top 3 girls are from my predictions Top 4 list. Not bad at all.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

My apologies. The broadcast I am getting this year is a bit delayed.

Special Awards:

Miss Congeniality: El Salvador
Best in National Costume: By Online Vote: Will it be Philippines? – Nope its Thailand. Didn’t think so, didn’t vote for her either.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Top 5 in Random Order

Colombia
Venezuela
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Russia

USA would have been in this Top 5 had she not slipped. Girls are awesome.

Final Question

As usual girls pick a judge and get 30 seconds to answer.

Colombia picks Jennifer Hawkins: If you could go back in time and change a moment in your past, what would that be and why? In my life, I have been in really, its been a wonderful life for me. I come from a big family, huge values so there is nothing i would change in my past life. I have been happy every single day of my entire life because of my family they are always thinking the best for everything. So everything perfect.

Venezuela picks Louis Lecaro: Do you believe men or women have it easier life and why? Actually God made us to share and to have difference. But big difference between women and men doesn’t matter what the kind of life they live is that men think, they think that the faster way to go a point is go straight, women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curve and fix another curves.

Dominican Republic picks Donald Trump Jr. What is the biggest sacrifice you have ever had to make and how did you handle it? IN reality I I have had to work since I was quite young because my parents were divorced so I had to leave my childhood behind. Notwithstanding the fact that I feel all the sacrifices are worth it because I see my mothers up there and she’s crying for me and I have continued, everything has been worth it.

Mexico picks Roberto Cavalli. When is a woman truly satisfied? I think a woman can feel satisfied when she has a balance in her life. When she has a mind so all her feelings in the same level . Its important to have a balance between family, between your job and and between community.

Russia picks Eesha Koppikhar: Is there still discrimination against women and what can be done about it? I think in our time women have become stronger and they have become smarter so I think a women can not only have a successful career but raise wonderful children and I think in our time women will be better.

The winner of Miss Universe 2008 is on the way. Hold on.

I think Venezuela did the best in this round. But I hope Mexico did enough to win.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Prize package of Miss Universe 2008. Riyo looks even more stunning than she was last year.

Final Look:

Colombia: looks fresh and amazing. She would make a great miss Universe – and feels like the strongest of this 5.

Venezuela: Sometimes gives you this weird stare. But she is very beautiful.

Dominican Republic: Did awesome I’m glad she made it this far.

Mexico: Looks lovely I really hope she wins it tonight.

Russia: The only girl in the bunch I’m not rooting for. She did a great job as well.

–COMMERCIAL GAP–

Riyo takes her final walk as Miss Universe 2007.

She comes out in a tux instead of a gown. No crown on her. Great, bold fashion statement.

She looks awesome, really breathtaking.

Here we go the final results.

4th Runner Up: Mexico – what a disappointment.
3rd Runner Up: Russia
2nd Runner Up: Dominican Republic

Venezuela and Colombia are left. These 2 are both in my Top 4 Picks. I predicted Venezuela under gut feel winner.

1st Runner is: Colombia

Venezuela is Miss Universe 2008!!!

Crown looks even cheaper than in pictures. Otherwise it was a great pageant nonetheless, hosts were great unlike what I expected (my bad) and did well predicting the results.

Stepping away from the hustle and bustle of city life usually provides one’s self the opportunity to have distraction free thought processes, but instead of thinking about my predictions I found myself thinking more about my sudden disinterest in the pageant.

Have I outgrown my love for pageants? Are there legitimate reasons to explain this disinterest or have I not just been paying attention? I’d like to think my reasons are justified.

First there is the underwhelming batch of girls this year. Unlike in previous editions of the pageant, take last year for example, where we had plenty of standouts, this year the favorites are only a select few that are at times are not even consistently top notch. By this time any other year I’d have found “my girl” – the girl I would be rooting for, but not in 2008.

Secondly are what I call “ugly decisions” by pageant organizers. Decisions like the tacky new crown – how’d that thing get by the Miss Universe Organization baffles me, it looks like a run of the mill crown you’d see at any small time pageant. And more importantly what it leaves out is a signature look that conveys meaning, and defines the Miss Universe pageant. Another ugly decision are the choice of hosts (Jerry Springer & Mel B.) – personally I think Jerry Springer cheapens Miss Universe, enough said.

Then I could be wrong and am willing to set aside these feelings are really enjoy tomorrow’s pageant. Who knows if something amazing could happen leaving us with a pageant we will never forget.

Last year was a great year for Miss Universe; a simple girl, in a simple dress went home with the crown. I think the standard left behind by Riyo Mori is very high. Although she will never be the most beautiful Miss Universe, the simplicity and elegance she exuded the night she was crowned should be the gold standard for pageants such as this.

Who will replace her?

1. Mexico: (Personal Pick) Having stood out during the course of pageant related activities, there is no doubt in my mind that if all goes well Mexico’s Elisa Najera will take home the crown at this year’s Miss Universe pageant. She has one of the most beautiful faces overall not to mention that great body and walk that won her the swimsuit special event last week. What would it take for her to win? Remain consistent, dazzle us with an amazing gown presentation, deliver a confident final answer, and turn the magic on.

1. Venezuela: (Gut Feeling Pick) If anyone comes close to Mexico it would be this stunner from Venezuela. Heavily favored to win very early on in the competition Diana Mendoza really has what it takes to become the next Miss Universe. On stage however I’d wish she’d tone it down a bit (especially the head flips). A little more maturity and sophistication will go a long way for her. Having covered beauty pageants for years I have learned never to count a Venezuelan out, because their intense preparation and fighting spirit have got even the not so beautiful ones all the way to the Top 3, how much more are the chances of a stunner like Diana.

3. USA: I wasn’t too excited when I found out that Crystle Stewart was crowned Miss USA. But her consistent performance while in Vietban just tells me that she will surely be in the Top 5. My guess is that she will be 2nd runner up. You have to reward consistency, this girl is just spot on, doing everything right. Very elegant and genuinely a nice person.

4. Colombia: One of the freshest faces in the pageant Taliana Vargas is a personal favorite beauty wise. I just love her simple look, she will make a great Miss Universe. The reason I have not placed her any higher is because she looked too giddy during the preliminary competition. I was not too fond of her evening gown either. Hopefully all this changes for the final night.

5. Panama: A late bloomer in the competition Carolina Justavino flew under my radar until the preliminary competition where she delivered awesome performances in both swimsuit and evening gown competitions. I expect her to do good, perhaps good enough for the top 5.

6. Puerto Rico: Controversial Ingrid Rivera needs no introduction, as she made waves long before any of the delegates arrived in Vietnam. I’ve heard Ingrid had surgery to fix her nose, I’m sure that’s quite common in the world of pageants today, but I am more inclined to prefer natural beauties (including the 5 names I’ve placed ahead of her). Still it goes without saying that she is well prepared for this competition, and her evening gown is one of the best we saw during the preliminaries.

7. India: One of the most beautiful Miss Indias in a long time Simran Kaur Mundi was consistent throughout the entire competition, she was a finalist during the special swimsuit event held last week, and even during the evening gown competition where she had an ugly dress on she still managed to look great.

8. Australia: Laura Dundovic is another stunner from down under. He class and style reminds me of Jennif Hawkins (who coincidentally is judging this year’s pageant). I don’t know if she was as on fire as the other ladies in my Top 5, having said that I think she will at least make it to the top 10.

9. Japan: Very little media attention has been given to Riyo Mori’s successor as Miss Japan. Her sash-aside, Hiroko Mima has one of the most exotic looks in the entire pageant. The problem is that I hear she does not want to win the pageant this year, I hope this is not true as I secretly want Japan to go all the way and win two years in a row. I believe Hiroko would make an awesome Miss Universe.

10. Korea: The other Ines Ligron student, Sun Lee really wants to take home the title this year. Her height may put her at a disadvantage but she surely has the look. My only comment is that she sometimes looks like she’s trying too hard with an over done walk.

11. South Africa: Definitely the best delegate coming out of Africa Tansey Coetzee looked hot during the preliminary swimsuit competition. We usually see two black delegates in the Top 15 every year, this year I think it will be USA and South Africa.

12. Thailand: One the top delegates from Asia this year Thailand’s Gavintra Photijak surprised everyone with awesome performances during last weeks presentation show. I’m pretty her named will be called among the Top 15.

EDIT: I’ve just realized I have skipped Ms. Dominican Republic. Because there is no time left I will make a quick change and put in Dominican Republic over Belgium.

13. Belgium: An early favorite, I don’t know if Belgium has enough fuel left to finish well. She is the blond bombshell this year, and was hot in swimsuit, I’m just not sure if her evening gown did her well. She looked fat and bloated. Still Alizee Poulicek definitely has an awesome face and I hope to see her go far in tonight’s competition.

14. Kosovo: Its Kosovo’s first time to compete at Miss Universe. Aside from first time luck, Zana Krasniqi has a “unique” look, and exudes a “unique” vibe. If the judges didn’t notice I’d say the Miss Universe Organization probably will.

15. Vietnam: Vietnam’s Lam Thuy Nguyen has a lovely face but I wouldn’t have placed her on my list if not for her sash, and the fact that 3 out of the 6 preliminary judges are from Vietnam. But that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. She a shoo in for the Top 15.

ALTERNATES

Brazil
Canada
Ireland
Trinidad & Tobago
Israel
Spain