The Miss Supranational final again offered a mix of bouncy catwalk parades set to the latest pop music (performed mostly by local artists as using the originals are subject to performance rights fees) along with a showcase for local modern Polish pop artists to perform their songs, all this time on a long catwalk-oriented stage for this year. It’s upbeat and entertaining enough, though if you have watched multiple editions of this pageant, it somehow feels rather same-y that one wants something, well, refreshing, to differentiate from other editions. Sure, there’s the Ukraine theme this year as Poland wants to express its solidarity to its beleaguered neighbor, and there are interviews with some refugees to publicize the conflict situation further, plus some surprisingly heartfelf sentiments from the contestants themselves. The most memorable was GERMANY (Jasmin Selberg)’s tearful testimony about a Ukrainian refugee friend she personally knows.
.Though the show itself may feel same-y, the Top 24 provided some shocks and surprises. I only got 14 of the Top 24 correct. Well actually this is a very competitive year with a lot of possibilities for the Top 24, but what was shocking for me was that seven of those I didn’t get were from my “Striking Distance” instead of “Bubbling Under” list.
It’s not that surprising to me that BOLIVIA (Macarena Castillo), MALAYSIA (Melisha Lin) and TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (Christin Coeppicus) made the cut as I think they had what it takes to make it and I’m glad the panel of “Experts”*1 liked them enough to put them through.
*1 This year, this pageant refers to the judges as “Experts”, composed mainly of the reigning Miss and Mister Supranational plus previous winners and runners-up plus key officers of the organization and a smattering of Polish celebrities
I have to say I underrated GUATEMALA (María Fernanda Milián) and ROMANIA (Andra Tache), and probably should’ve placed them in my “Bubbling Under” instead of “Striking Distance” list. I’m not that mad at their inclusion at all.
I’m slightly surprised at the Experts’ liking towards BRAZIL (Giovanna Reis) and ECUADOR (Valery Carabali) as to be honest I found several other ladies more impressive than them. And they ranked in the higher end of the Top 24, ranking 16th and 14th respectively. Well, I respect the Experts’ tastes and we have to understand that their tastes would differ from others.
I’m surprised at the Experts’ liking for HONG KONG (Kumiko Lau) as I felt she doesn’t have strong stage presence and that her only path to make the cut would be winning Supra-Chat. She didn’t win that, but maybe her closed-door interview was so impressive that they included her.
It’s clear that two African contestants made the cut by winning a fast-track slot. GHANA (Gifty Boakye) was the Supra-Influencer chamption, and KENYA (Roleen Mose) won the more crucial Supra-Fan Vote, the latter of which secures the winner a spot in the Top 12. I’m surprised at their wins, and I feel they shut out some worthier ladies in the process. I do have to note that KENYA at least styled herself properly during the finals as during most of her appearances her styling was rather off.
If those two Africans didn’t win their fast-track, it could be argued that this would make room for the top two who bubbled under the Top 24, ZAMBIA (Savena Mushinge) and SPAIN (Ana Karla Ramirez), two highly touted performers who many pageant fans and pundits (including myself) included in their Top 24 forecasts. Also included in the official “bubbling under” list was catwalk diva PANAMA (Cecilia Medina), another one of my Top 24 choices.
I’d like to pay tribute to other ladies in my “Fearful” Forecast who fell short. Like the worthy Caribbean lookers from DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Emely Ruiz), HAITI (Lynn Rubiane St.-Germaine), and PUERTO RICO (Anette Banchs). Then, I was expecting CHINA (Sophia Su) to be an “interview darling” instead of HONG KONG, and the strong stage presence of COTE D’IVOIRE (Cadic N’Guessian) I thought would’ve made an indelible impression with the Experts.
There are pageant fans and pundits who thought a slot would be reserved for UKRAINE (Diana Maronenko) especially with the current situation they are in, but it’s not that surprising that she missed the cut as many were disappointed with her performances onstage. At least during the final telecast she had major media mileage as they presented her country’s current predicament and she got to garner significant airtime speaking about her country’s situation. I’ll peg her the first runner-up of the Ruth Ocumarez Award.
For me and many pageant fans and pundits, the most shocking exclusion goes to ARGENTINA (Maira Acst). Many felt she can go as far as Top 12, but the fact that she is also out of the Top 30, it’s a shocker why she was not rated highly by the Experts.
As expected, PHILIPPINES (Alison Black) didn’t advance beyond Top 24, ranking 17th. But at least she has a highlight as she’s the Talent winner. Glad the judges rewarded high art like ballet.
When it comes to the Top 12, I actually had a much stronger showing, as I got 10 out of 12 right. If it weren’t for KENYA’s Supra-Fan Vote win, if it went to, say, INDONESIA (Adinda Cresheilla) instead, it would’ve made room for JAMAICA (Carisa Peart) to enter the Top 12 and I would’ve gotten 11 out of 12 right.
I may have pegged PERU (Almendra Castillo) outside of the Top 12 in my “Fearful” Forecast, but if any one faltered out of the Top 12, that would’ve made room for her to make it, and with the absence of ARGENTINA and JAMAICA, this paved the way for her to make it.
When it comes to the Final Five, I got three out of five correct, which is not bad and the ones who made it were always ready to pounce when any of the predicted choices somehow faltered or fell short. For many fans, it’s a shocker CZECH REPUBLIC (Kristýna Malířová) failed to make the Final Five, but I think her disappointing 20-second speech was the big factor that made her fall out of that lofty finish, falling so short that it gave room for POLAND (Agata Wdoviak) to overtake her and assume the Continental crown for EUROPE.
To be honest, if we base it on speeches, I would’ve included INDIA (Ritika Khatnani) instead of, say, VIETNAM (Nguyễn Huỳnh Kim Duyên), but the Experts probably really like those top Southeast Asians that they simply had no room for her in the Final Five. She ranked a close 6th.
Delivering a great 20-second speech was VENEZUELA (Ismelys Velasquez) and her overall charismatic presence helped secure her a Final Five slot, but well, those Southeast Asians proved to be formidable that even with her best efforts she can only finish 4th runner-up.
THAILAND (Praewwanich Ruangthong) has always have the Final Five within sight, though I thought with such limited slots, she would be the one who had to make way for, say, INDIA. But it turns out she won over the Experts so much (well, fellow Thai Miss Supranational 2019 Anntonia Porsild is part of the Panel of Experts) that she ranked high and ended up becoming 1st runner-up. I have no objections to her showing, just like…
…the eventual win of SOUTH AFRICA (Lalela Mswane). There was that possibility that she would’ve missed out her path to victory as she wasn’t able to complete her 20-second speech, but she probably garnered so much goodwill with the Experts that they were more forgiving and still granted her that path to ultimately become this years winner.
The final result is as expected, with history being made as Lalela is the first black Miss Supranational winner. Can this pageant finally recover and attract a significantly larger roster next year? And will there be new milestones for the next edition of this pageant? Anyway, let’s see how fruitful Lalela’s reign would turn out to be. Congratulations to all the winners!
JUST ME!
JOSEPH
Joseph Vitug's Views 