QUEENTESSENCE TOP 16 AFTER THE EVENING GOWN AND SWIMSUIT PRELIMINARIES

by Arnulfo Distor

I was not surprised with the choice of Miss Ecuador as the front runner in the evening gown and swimsuit preliminaries. She was totally a performer and she resplendent in everything. It is no doubt why she shot up in the rankings. Her previous rankings were 3^rd and 12^th positions. Do you think she will be able to maintain the lead? We know that the preliminary interview is not revealed but with her likeability rating, she should be a great contender for a Top 16 spot.

Croatia again went back to her previous rank. She initially ranked second, then plummeted to 8^th and then she’s back at 2^nd. She is said to have the most beautiful face. She may not have the best catwalk, best poses and best interview skills but people are just enamored with her beautiful face. Will this quality be enough to catapult her to the top rank? Well, when Leila won, she was just said to have a pretty face. She was not excellent in the catwalk. She just gives out what is in her mind. And she became Miss Universe. This is my contention for Miss Croatia. She might just be Miss Universe 2012 with a stroke of luck.

Coming in to the heels of Miss Croatia is Miss South Africa. Miss South Africa initially ranked 11^th, then 1^st and now 3^rd. What more can we say with Melinda Bam? Well, she is a vamp. She burns the stage with her fiery performance. It was a close call for the other two. With a very good credential, it will be a wonder if this lady does not perform well in her closed door interview.

In 4^th place is Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon. Janine surprised everyone with a  very good catwalk. Although pageant followers are still debating about her gown, many underscored the fact that she carried herself well in that gown. And although the debate rages on, our tally showed her maintaining her 4^th place position.

Miss Australia occupies the 5^th place, a rank higher than her previous rank. This girl is very consistent. In our initial ranking, she was 14^th in rank, then she was number 6 and now she is higher in rank. I believe this girl can talk and thus it is expected that she enters the Top 16.

Miss Mexico was described as bland and she seemed to be rushing during her evening gown presentation so that so, her screen time is so short. Other pundits describe her as someone disinterested. And yet they put her in the 6^th rank. There are a lot of comparisons that pageant aficionados are saying. She has the looks of Ximena. She has a similar red gown and her projection seems like Ximena too. Will she follow the same fate like Ximena? Well, we will see on pageant night.

Miss Venezuela continues a high favorability rating among the pageant connoisseurs. Some people are turned off with her go-easy attitude during the preliminaries. They may have punished her for that by falling into the 7^th ranking after a high second ranking. But this 7^th rank indicates that she is still a candidate in contention.

Miss Colombia is another candidate that fell in the ranking. Although she did pretty well, I guess other candidates were remembered well with their sterling qualities that she got into the 8^th rank this time.

Miss Czech Republic is another favorite and she had improved in her ratings. Although not favored to take the title, it looks like that she might make a dent with her 9^th rank among Miss Universe followers.

Ranked Number 10 is Miss Puerto Rico. A lot of fans are rooting for Miss Puerto Rico. She was exemplary in both the evening gown and the swimsuit. She is well within reach and let us see how she managed in her interview. I expect her to be in the Top 16 come pageant night.

On the 11^th slot is Miss U.S.A. Miss U.S.A. comes out very charming in her presentation. Although I don’t love her gown as it does not suit her, she is very dazzling in her swimsuit presentation. Sash factor or not, she is a cinch to the Top 16.

Somebody new in the Top 16 ranking and occupying the 12^th slot is Miss France. Miss France wowed the fans with her shapely body and good presentation in the evening gown. With a very good catwalk, she was able to penetrate our Top 16.

Miss Germany plummeted in terms of likeability among our respondents but still kept one of the slots and is in the 13^th position. Miss Germany was adequate in her presentation but not enough to wow the partisan crowd. Did she wow the judges? It is for us to see on pageant and see for ourselves if she made it to the Top 16.

Miss Japan did not lose her composure and still maintained a slot in the Top 16 and is now in the 14^th position. She is very radiant and projects very well onstage. Come pageant night, I believe she will perform much better.

Miss Kosovo’s presence during the preliminary presentation was not expected by our respondents. She was nowhere the Miss Kosovo in her Fadil shots. However, she gave out an adequate performance that merited her occupying the last second to the last slots.

Rounding up our list is Miss Brazil who was a surprise during the presentation night. Although she looks older her age, she was overwhelmingly captivating during the evening gown and swimsuit rounds. Her presence was felt of these particular performances.

Close on the heels that has the capability to make it to the Top 16 and dislodge some of the candidates are Misses Aruba, Bolivia, Finland, Georgia, Guatemala, Israel, Russia, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. They too did very well during the preliminary competition. It would therefore be the interview that would separate the semifinalists to the other candidates. Let us wait and see.

Photo Courtesy: missuniverse.com