The 68th edition of the world’s most prestigious pageant is currently being held in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. At the end of the pageant, a new queen who will succeed last year’s champion, the Philippines’ Catriona Gray, will be named.
With 90 delegates competing, the coronation night will air live from Tyler Perry Studios on Monday. (Sunday in the US).
This year, the candidates will follow the “Top 20-6-3-1” competition format: Top 20 will compete in the Swimsuit and Evening Gown rounds (19 semi-finalists who gained the highest scores during the preliminary competition and one winner from online voting); Top 6 will be announced to compete in the Q & A portion where random questions will be asked; and the Top 3 where only three candidates will proceed to the next round of the competition where one question will be asked to determine the winner.
And as a yearly tradition, we are listing down the strongest candidates, who we believe deserved to be this year’s queen:
1. Miss Philippines Gazini Christiana Ganados, 23
This year’s pageant critics and fanatics’ favorite is a native of Cebu. She’s a graduate of Health Care Services NCII and Tourism Management at the University of San Jose Recoletos. Gazini is also an Ambassador of Sustainable Development Program Building. She stepped on the global pageant stage with her stunning looks and advocacy that trains the spotlight on elderly care.
2. Miss Brazil Julia Horta, 25
Julia is a 5-foot-8 model who is quite a veteran in her country’s national pageant circuit. She is a Journalism graduate at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora and works as a speaker and digital influencer. Like Gazini, Julia is one of the three candidates, along with Miss Colombia, to win the coveted Mis Universe crown.
3. Miss Colombia Gabriela Tafur Nader, 24
She is one to beat in the Q & A department. The 5-foot-10 model is a lawyer by profession. She finished her degree at Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota with flying colors (cum laude). Gabriela was born in Cali, the most populous city in Southwest Colombia, where she found a career in modeling as early as 15 years old.
4. Miss India Vartika Singh, 26
She was educated at the Canossa Convent School in Lucknow. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical nutrition and dietetics from Isabella Thoburn College. The Indian model also holds a Master’s degree in Public health from the University of Lucknow.
5. Miss Mexico Sofia Aragon, 25
A native of Guadalajara, Sofia is an author who has published two books that focus on women empowerment. This Miss Universe 2019 frontrunner is also a speaker who is committed to helping others who suffer from depression.
6. Miss Thailand Paweensuda Drouin, 26
This towering beauty is a Thai-Canadian model and DJ. As one of the strongest Asian candidates this year, Paweensuda is praised for her classic eurasian beauty apart from her impressive resume graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Kinesiology.
Other candidates who have a strong chance for the crown are Miss France Maëva Coucke, 25, Miss Puerto Rico Madison Anderson Berrios, 23, Miss Vietnam Hoang Thuy, 27, and Miss Venezuela Thalia Olvino, 20.
Bubbling up are Miss Singapore Mohanaprahba Selvam, 24, Miss Ireland Fionnghuala O’Reilly, 25, Miss Chile Geraldine Gonzalez, 19, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, 28, Miss HaitiGabriela Clesca Vallejo, 26, Miss Kenya Stacy Michuki, 18, Miss Argentina Mariana Varela, 23, Miss Albania Cindy Marinablonde, 21, Miss Netherlands Sharon Pieksma, 24, and Miss Indonesia Frederika Alexis Cull, 20.