MISS UNITED CONTINENT 2014/ MISS CONTINENTE UNIDOS 2014 PREDICTIONS

The time has finally arrived to crown the new Miss United Continent for 2014 at Guayaquil, Ecuador. As against the expected number of contestants being over forty, the organization could manage to keep only 27 in its grabs for the show, equaling it to the same number of contestants to the previous year of inception. To the effect that fellow countries like Canada, Argentina, Honduras and Uruguay couldn’t sustain their time in this pageant. Nevertheless, will this erstwhile Miss Continente Americano crown its first non-Latina beauty queen? That is something to see. 

On to my predictions, which are purely based on photos uploaded on the organization’s Facebook page, the order of the confirmed list on final night could be any, since there is no proper preliminary show and in a Latina-based pageant, looks are only secondary to good presentation skills. So here is my list, in the reverse order.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS

BRAZIL – Camila Nantes

I find her inconsistent. In some shots, she looks glammed up. In others, she is one pretty blonde who has a weird shape. Her head is too wide for my tastes and Brazil had the capacity to send a better delegate.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Geisha Montes de Oca Robles

Overall, she is passable to me, although she has the usual Latina vibe that gains favour over here. She seems to be on other people’s list, this may be due to her past pageant experiences at Miss World 2008 and Miss Tourism Queen International 2007.

MEXICO - Jackeline Jiménez Garcia

 She is in good shape and is a former contestant at the Nuestra Belleza Jalisco pageant. For the uninitiated, Jalisco is for Mexico what Venezuela is for the world. I am guessing she has some pageant chops to make up for her otherwise passable face.

LEBANON – Natalia Rocha Saade

 

It is interesting to see this country field a girl of presumably Latin origins. The fact that made me consider her is her bang-on body and a sizzling face, which can sometimes pass as mature.

PUERTO RICO – Agnes Valentin Crespo

 

 She is a bland contestant to come from a powerhouse like Puerto Rico but I am seeing beyond her classic looks which are workable come finale night. If she is styled well for that night, she has it to steal a spot.

USA – Chanelle Chacon

I am a fan of her sweet beauty. Can she pull an Olivia Culpo here? Her beauty is understated here but it can be that her demureness works against her favor on this stage. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t mind if she gets a spot.

 

THE SEMIFINALISTAS

ECUADOR – Dianella Lopez Duenas

Dianella was my bet to win this crown, although I know they won’t crown a fellow home turf lady, back-to-back. But for those who have seen Dianella at Miss Ecuador 2014, she was one to beat, channelling a vibe similar to Dayana Mendoza. She later went to Miss Asia Pacific World 2014 and was a favourite, eventually settling for a semi-finalist spot. However, when she set her foot for Miss United Continent, I was disappointed big time. She has apparently gained weight and looks chubby and that styling is not working for her. But she can work that stage in her stride in addition to being the home turf girl, which can guarantee her a spot.

KAZAKHSTAN – Aigerim Kozhakhanova

She competed at Miss Universe 2013 but didn’t catch the limelight well. She is one stunning lady though who can balance it with sweetness. Her pictures are never with a bad angle, she is either good or better and they should take note of her beauty.

CHILE – Florencia Dunnage Kuhlmann

 

 

She is very poised and that body is shapely. I dig the Euro-Latina vibe and she is a good representative for her country, after a great record last year.

BOLIVIA – Brenda Ibáñez

She was a head scratcher for me. I am putting her here as she is in good shape plus she can manage being fierce and approachable. Otherwise, I am not so gaga over her.

THAILAND – Nurlaila Binmamah

I was surprised at her exclusion at Miss Grand Thailand 2014 but I think they saw something in this girl that they sent a non-finalist to this pageant. It is hard to ignore that she is a very pretty Asian damsel and photographs really well. And reckoning her at Miss Grand Thailand, she also has some stage chops.

UKRAINE – Anna Sardyga

 

She lives up to the stereotype of Ukrainian beauties. Drop dead gorgeous and a fantastic body with those ironed tresses, it will be hard to miss her out. However I am not sure of her presentation skills, that is why I am keeping her one level short.

TOP 6

THE RUNNER-UPS

 

  4^th Runner-up – PERU – Diana Rengifo Valencia

  

She in pretty in her own right and can carry herself very well with grace. I love her styling in her swimsuit portrait and hope she sports that. Other than that, she still has the potential to pull a spot.

3^rd Runner-up – SWEDEN – Felicia Aden

Her beauty is the classical Nordic - blonde Rapunzel locks and polarizing eyes, she looks royalty. I hope she doesn’t don her portrait gown, which I find too-muchey with jewellery et al. Despite that, she should be a force up there.

2^nd Runner-up – AUSTRALIA – Nicola Williams

She has brought the thunder from down under. Her eyes can launch a thousand ships. Her styling seems to be on the average side, but her beauty is impeccable and her body is flawless.

1^st Runner-up – COLOMBIA – Paola Ruiz Quiroga

I thought she was all about her pretty face but when she ripped off her external adornments to flaunt a sexilicious bod, I was sold. Placing as a finalist at Senorita Colombia 2013 is no joke and those who know her over there, should know her presentation skills well. A sure-fire contender.

VIRREINA/VICE QUEEN

India – Gail Nicole da Silva

The moment she stepped her foot on Ecuador, she braved all the Latin tsunamis and stood high. Winning the national costume with that festive costume for an Indian is just a starter. Gail is blessed with gorgeous looks and I have had the privilege to know her from up close and personal. And I can tell you, she is one beauty and can work that stage like no other. Mixing sexy with sweet, she seems to concocting the formula right for an imminent win for a non-Latina, but she has her shortcomings. Will her comparably short height keep her away from the crown by a hair’s breadth? Will her rather lax communication skills stand the force of her Spanish-speaking counterparts, who can easily strike a chord with the Latin crowd? Will she stand the momentum of my predicted winner?

MISS UNITED CONTINENT 2014

Venezuela – Wilmayerlin (Wi May) Nava Marquez

Gail would have been my prediction to win it all if at all this Miss Venezuela was a commonplace Venezuela. But Wi May Nava is simply not. She has had her own place in the spotlight after the BBC documentary on Extreme Beauty Queens of Venezuela went viral and the world got a glimpse of the underbelly of the pageant world, where girls can go to extreme societal and personal risks to wear a beauty crown on their head. Wi May’s story is inspiring as well as notorious. Inspiring because she braved the perils of her home-turf – the barrio – one of the dangerous crime areas of the world, to become Venezuela’s first beauty queen from the slums. Notorious because she went medical procedures to get into her present shape, ranging from a nose surgery to sewing a mesh on her tongue in order to lose weight. Will this work for or against her is something that is to see. But then, Venezuela is so open about its medical procedures and surgeries to field a proper representative internationally. Getting back to grassroot, Wi May has that perfect 90-60-90 figure and she works the stage very well and it is likely that she is going to highlight her story to get the better of the jury. In any ways, she can be a worthy first Miss United Continent from the pageant powerhouse Venezuela.