(L-R) Malaysia, Venezuela, United States and Lebanon (Photo credit: missworld.com)
I’ve already blogged at length about the running favorites in Miss World 2013. But what about the ladies who could be the dark horses in the competition? They are the ones capable of pulling a surprise when the going gets tough, or when nobody else is looking for that matter.
Consider Miss Malaysia Melinder Bhullar alone. You can’t deny the fact that there has never been a more stand-out MW representative of this Asean country since Lina Teoh (who placed 2nd Princess back in 1998) and Arianna Teoh (Top 10 in 1997). And the girl can speak with those soulful eyes working to her advantage.
And then Osmel Sousa’s girl cannot be ignored as well. Karen Soto may not have initially met everyone’s expectations of a Miss Venezuela bet (after Ivian Sarcos and Gabriella Ferrari), given looks that make her appear older. When she arrived in Bali, though, the youthful vibrancy of this Latina has been displayed in ample amounts.
In comes Olivia Jordan next. The adorable-looking American is a joy to watch as well. To some, she may come off as listless or outshadowed. But don’t count her out. At least not yet. This Oklahoma native may still be able to work wonders come official pre-judging time. And the minute she moves and speaks, there is the possibility of charming not just one or two score-givers.
How about the lady who (figuratively) almost missed the red-eye to Bali? Lebanon’s Karen Ghrawi has an unmissable presence, especially when she starts flashing her million watt smile. Trust me, there is something special in this lady which cannot be taken lightly. Gut feel tells me that Julia Morley could be keeping an eye on her. How long the stare will last depends on her ability to sustain the interest.
When you have 116 beautiful and ultra-competitive delegates from all over the world competing for just one crown, the prospects of coming up with a highly accurate ‘fearless forecast’ are always middling somewhere in the 50-60 percent range.
Whoever ends up winning come late Saturday must really have her lucky stars shining bright all night. There are already so many factors entering the equation that lady luck plays a major role, just like in coming up with predictions for the same. At any rate, below is a photo collage of my Top 15. I can see one of them bringing home the blue crown, but who in particular?
The 15 Miss World 2012 delegates on my shortlist.
From the Americas, four ladies entered my Top 15 and they are Brazil’s Mariana Notarangelo, Colombia’s Barbara Turbay, Mexico’s Mariana Berumen and Venezuela’s Gabriella Ferrari. Among them, Mariana and Barbara have the strongest potentials of taking it all the way. Both Latinas would move heaven and earth to get hold of the title, and continue the always remarkable track record of the continent in the pageant.
From Europe comes three gorgeous candidates – Belarus’ Yuliya Skalkovich, Netherlands’ Nathalie den Dekker and Wales’ Sophie Moulds. For obvious reasons, Sophie has the major inroad to the top of the heap, being Welsh and favored by Julia Morley herself.
From the Carribbean, Jamaica’s Deanna Robins zooms on my list, partly because of her excellent record in all Miss World events. As such, she is a dark horse who just might do a Lisa Hanna (Miss World 1993) – frankly, a foreseeable possibility.
From Africa, there’s Atong Demach of South Sudan. She may not be the loveliest African delegate out there, but the articulate lady commands a certain charm and class that would be hard to get lost on the judges.
Oceania is represented by Australia’s Jessica Kahawaty. This Aussie celebrity knows how to maximize her assets (both physical and otherwise) to full use. Her splendid record in almost all the events cannot be ignored either.
And finally, Asia has the most for me. A quintet of stand-out representatives – China’s Wenxia Yu, Indonesia’s Ines Putri Tjiptadi, Israel’s Shani Hazan, Thailand’s Vanessa Phuang Hermann and the Philippines’ Queenie Rehman – registered well on my score sheet to take the lion’s share of spots in the Top 15. Here is where my armchair judging went ballistic. China is a shoo-in for the Top 7, while Ines and Vanessa could make it to Top 15 for two entirely different – but plausible – reasons not unknown to many. The Israeli rep, on the other hand, is a sleeper. She could surprise everyone and become her country’s 2nd winner – not an impossibility but not highly likely as well. And this leaves us with our very own Queenie. Her performance in the events so far could rival Gwen’s last year. But can she translate this into something that could match or exceed the latter’s placement in the finals? Gut feel tells me that she can, barring any major blocks from the powers-that-be.
Trimming the 15 down to the Top 7 is tough, but my take is that the following will go this far: Australia – Jessica Kahawaty
China PR – Wenxia Yu
Colombia – Barbara Turbay
Jamaica – Deanna Robins*
Mexico – Mariana Berumen
Philippines – Queenie Rehman
and Wales – Sophie Moulds
From this point, the winner could be anyone’s guess. It all depends on who the judges will favor. My vision has Miss China PR Wenxia Yu and Miss Philippines Queenie Rehman battling it out in the Top 3, together with Miss Wales Sophie Moulds.
Two of the three delegates I would like to see as the final ones standing for the Miss World crown – Wenxia Yu of PR China (left) and Queenie Rehman of the Philippines. Sophie Moulds of Wales is the third one.
If my Top 3 ends up the same as the actual results on finals night, then there is a specific reason for each of them winning. Miss China PR coming out on top favors the host country. A Chinese Miss World in a China-hosted Miss World has already happened before. A repeat will no longer make my jaw drop to the floor, maybe just to my knees. Meanwhile, Miss Wales being crowned winner reflects the influence of Julia Morley in the results, just like the eventful journey of Ireland’s Rossana Davidson in the past. And how about Miss Philippines Queenie Rehman winning our very first Miss World crown? It is the fervent wish of all Filipinos around the globe. And I’m not dreaming wide awake. There is this window – however widely opened or half-closed – that our rep can take advantage of. If she ends up with the blue crown, then we can all jump, smile, or cheer wildly that the objective has been achieved. 😉
* – I removed Belarus from my Top 7 and replaced her with Jamaica. After some thorough consideration, I believe that Deanna is more deserving of that spot.
Caption this photo featuring the Miss Venezuela 2012 winners plus Miss Bolivar Fanny Ottati stealing a photo op with them.
Let’s have some good clean fun captioning the photo above of the Miss Venezuela 2012 winners. I singled it out because of the scene-stealing (and poise-spoiling) entry of Miss Bolivar Fanny Ottati. I’ll share my lines in the vernacular because it comes out funnier that way.
Here goes:
Miss Bolivar, Fanny Ottati: Bilisan nyo naman ang pagkuha ng litrato! Mahirap mag-squat dito noh?
Miss Distrito Capital, Gabriella Ferrari: Saklolo! Guards! Kunin nyo ang babaeng ito! Sinisira nya ang moment ko!
Miss Sucre, Irene Esser: Hoy! Huwag mong dantayan ang flower bouquet ko! Dinikit mo pa ang kili-kili mo sa bulaklak!
Miss Guarico, Blanca Aljibes: Kapal ng mukha ng babaeng ito! Umuwi ka na sa Bolivar at talunan ka naman!
Miss Yaracuy, Osmariel Villalobos: Keber ko sa inyo! Basta ako, smile na lang ng smile!
Miss Carabobo, Isabela Ramos: Ang saklap ng kinasadlakan ko! Nasa top 5 nga, wala namang title!
I’m not real good at throwing in comedic lines, but I just want to give it a try. 😉
The Top Winners: Irene Sofia Esser (L) Miss Venezuela-Universe 2012 and Gabriella Ferrari, Miss Venezuela World 2012.
The Top 5: (Standing, from left) Isabela Ramos of Carabobo, 1st Runner-Up; Blanca Aljibes of Guarico, Miss Venezuela-International 2012; Osmariel Villalobos of Yaracuy, Miss Venezuela-Earth 2012. Seated from left are Irene Sofia Esser of Sucre, Miss Venezuela-Universe 2012 and Gabriella Ferrari of Distrito Capital, Miss Venezuela-World 2012.
Here are the winners of Miss Venezuela 2011-12:
Miss Venezuela-Universe – Irene Esser (Sucre)
(for Miss Universe 2012)
Miss Venezuela-World – Gabriella Ferrari (Distrito Capital)
(for Miss World 2012)
Miss Venezuela-International – Blanca Aljibes (Guarico)
(for Miss International 2012)
Miss Venezuela-Earth – Osmariel Villalobos (Yaracuy)
(for Miss Earth 2012)
Four Venezuelan beauties will be crowned tonight as the South American country’s representatives to the Big 4 Pageants (Miss Universe 2012, Miss World 2011, Miss International 2012 and Miss Earth 2012). From the two dozen contenders, I have managed to select twelve ladies who – in my opinion – will fight tooth and nail for the titles. Here they are:
Milagro Manrique (Tachira)
Carla Rodrigues (Lara)
Gabriella Ferrari (Dtto.Capital)
Ma.Gabriela Criollo (Zulia)
Isabela Ramos (Carabobo)
Sara Coello (Vargas)
Andrea Baptista (Portuguesa)
Astrid Lozada (Barinas)
Irene Esser (Sucre)
Gabriela Quinones (Nueva Esparta)
Ivany Guzman (Delta Amacuro)
Blanca Alijibes (Guarico)
Predictions-wise, let’s go to the more difficult part of assigning titles to four of the dozen candidates above…
Two of My Top 4 Picks: Ma. Gabriela Criollo (Zulia) for Miss Venezuela International (L) and Milagro Manrique (Tachira) for Miss Venezuela World. Both refreshing Latinas!
For Miss Venezuela-Universe, I can’t think of any other lady for this title but Miss Sucre Irene Sofia Esser. She has the drop-dead gorgeous look for Donald Trump’s pageant that will erase the memories of former Miranda bets Marelisa Gibson and Vanessa Goncalvez. And once she flashes her 100-kilowatt smile, she can gloriously light up the stage and never let go of the well-deserved attention. If she comes out on top, I can safely state that Venezuela can look forward to a far more memorable participation in Miss Universe 2012.
Miss Sucre, Irene Sofia Esser is my choice for Miss Venezuela-Universe. A cracker of a beauty!
Unlike the first title, the Miss Venezuela-World winner can be among a few strong hopefuls but I will have to select Miss Tachira Milagro Manrique. This lady is just oozing with confidence and personal style. Her face is classic Venezuelan brunette, but not in an altogether cookie cutter way. She impresses an aura that captivates without overdoing it.
Miss Venezuela-International, on the other hand, could be a solid lock for Miss Zulia, Ma. Gabriela Criollo. Her face reminds me of Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman in most angles, and although some may prefer another delegate for this title, I think she is built for Miss International 2012 because she will simply mesmerize the Chinese hosts and locals where next year’s edition will also be held. She is one lady with a sweet and stunning presence that spells youthful vivacity.
My choice for Miss Venezuela-Earth is Distrito Capital's Gabriella Ferrari.
And for Miss Venezuela-Earth, I am torn between two ladies at this point: Gabriella Ferrari of Dtto. Capital and Portuguesa’s Andrea Baptista – both with looks and qualities distinct from each other. Either one of them could do well in the environment-friendly pageant’s edition next year. But if I had to pick just one, I would think Gabriella has an edge over Andrea in this regard. The former’s relaxed and spontaneous disposition will be better appreciated in Miss Earth 2012 than the more regal but stilted impact of the other.
In summary, my fearless forecast for the winners of Miss Venezuela 2012 are:
Miss Venezuela Universe – Irene Sofia Esser (Sucre)
Miss Venezuela World – Milagro Manrique (Tachira)
Miss Venezuela International – Ma. Gabriella Criollo (Zulia)
Miss Venezuela Earth – Gabriella Ferrari (Distrito Capital)
1st Runner-Up – Andrea Baptista (Portuguesa)
2nd Runner-Up – Isabela Ramos (Carabobo)
This is tough. But then again, there’s no challenge if I don’t push myself far.
Let’s see what the actuals will bear. By the way, if you want to watch the livestream of the pageant, click HERE. 😉
Special Awardees all (L-R): Ma. Gabriella Criollo of Zulia (Miss Interactiva), Sara Coello of Vargas (Miss Pasarela), Andrea Baptista of Portuguesa (La Piel mas Linda), Milagro Manrique of Tachira (Miss Naturalidad), Blanca Algives of Guarico (Ms. Rostro L'Bel), Gabriella Ferrari of Dtto. Capital (Miss Belleza Integral and La Mejor Presencia), Fanny Ottati of Bollivar (Ms. Personalidad) and Astrid Lozada of Barinas (El Mejor Cuerpo Dermocell).
Eight ladies drew first blood by winning the first set of 9 Special Awards in Miss Venezuela 2011-12. The recognitions should augur well for their eventual performance during the finals next month.
Miss Distrito Capital Gabriella Ferrari scooped two – Ms. Belleza Integral and La Mejor Presencia, while Milagro Manrique of Tachira was named Miss Naturalidad. Meanwhile, Astrid Lozada of Barinas won a well-deserved El Mejor Cuerpo Dermocell with her really shapely body. Andrea Baptista of Portuguesa was named La Piel mas Linda or Most Beautiful Skin. The fifth awardee is Blanca Algives of Guarico who got Ms. Rostro L’Bel, followed by Fanny Ottati of Bolivar getting Ms. Personalidad. Sara Coello clinched Miss Pasarela. Lastly, Ma. Gabriela Criollo of Zulia cornered the most number of online votes to be awarded as Miss Interactiva.
Milagro Manrique of Tachira (Miss Naturalidad).....I'm really really liking this girl!
Astrid Lozada of Barinas (La Mejor Cuerpo Dermocell)....having a killer body has its benefits!
Gabriella Ferrari of Distrito Capital (Ms. Belleza Integral and La Mejor Presencia)....winning two awards right off the bat places her as one of the top favorites.
Ma. Gabriela Criollo of Zulia (Ms. Interactiva)....this Nicole Kidman deadringer is getting much online support. She is a real beauty!
The four ladies above are definitely holding firm on their status of “favorites”.
But I want to holler a special mention for Tachira’s Milagro Manrique who is my #1 Pick at the moment.
Watch out for more updates about Miss Venezuela 2011-12! 😉
Tagging these ladies as just sexy would be an understatement. Their individual bodies are way too heavenly, near close to perfection if you will (unless you have an issue with ladies whose heads are not directly proportionate to their body built.) I just love how 90% of them have cuts in the right places and know how to maximize the same for shapeliness’ sake.
So from among these two dozen Miss Venezuela 2011-12 Official Candidates, I took the liberty of short-listing my personal five with the best figures (with face as secondary consideration):
Miss Barinas, Astrid Lozada
Miss Distrito Capital, Gabriella Ferrari
Miss Tachira, Milagro Manrique
Miss Monagas, Rossana Medina
and
Miss Carabobo, Isabela Ramos
Now some of you might quip that lucky shots or right angles come in the way of distinguishing the ones with the great curves. But then again, if you combine these with gorgeous faces and vibrant aura, the real stand-outs can be spotted right away.
Osmel Sousa must be incessantly nodding his head in approval of what he’s seeing so far. After 2010’s debacle with Marelisa Gibson and 2011’s so-so performance from Vanessa Goncalves, he is tightening his grip even more to make sure that the right ladies win come October 15.
Your turn, my dear readers. Who catches your fancy among these curvily-suited Venezuelans? 😉
One fact that remains indisputable with the annual Miss Venezuela Pageant is the high quality of delegates Osmel Sousa and his team present year after year. Slim pickings are two words that will never be part of their vocabulary. 2011 has another batch of really outstanding contenders. It is easy to remove the few who do not come on as strong bets and hard to determine the winners from among the great majority of the rest.
Four of these lovelies will become the country’s representatives to Miss World 2011, Miss Universe 2012, Miss International 2012 and Miss Earth 2012. And thus far, I am starting to like the following:
Miss Tachira, Milagro Manrique
Miss Distrito Capital, Gabriella Ferrari
Miss Lara, Carla Rodrigues
Miss Zulia, Maria Gabriela Criollo
Miss Barinas, Astrid Lozada
Miss Cojedes, Angela Ramirez
Miss Portuguesa, Andrea Baptista
But these seven are not my final picks yet. There is still more than a handful of deserving ones that I need to review further. Suffice it to say, this will be a better year than the last. Most definitely. 😉
By the way, the finals of Miss Venezuela 2011 will be on October 15, 2011.
Hi! Norman here. When I'm not working, I spend most of my free time planning on daily blogs. If you will notice, I always make sure that a fresh topic comes out everyday - not an easy thing to do but it's all good. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the visit!
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