Miss Universe 2012 Prediction
If the Mayan prediction comes true that the world will end on December 21, 2012, whoever wins Miss Universe will definitely hold the record of the shortest reign in history. But by then, who cares, right? Everyone will be dead. But prediction is exactly that, a prediction. It is not necessarily what will actually happen. If you look up the definition of the word prediction, it simply states that it’s a statement about the way things will happen in the future, often but not always based on experience or knowledge. Therefore, it may or may not happen.
With that said, Pageant Extra decided to show our prediction for Miss Universe 2012 based on our experience and knowledge, combined with what we saw in the preliminary competition on December 13.
Who do we think will make the top 16? Here they are, in random order…
First up, PUERTO RICO – Bodine Koehler
Bodine performed really well at the preliminary and according to our fashion experts, sported one of the best evening gowns of the evening. Plus, Puerto Rico always do well at Miss Universe. They have made the semifinals 7 times since 2000 and have won the crown five times.
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Please join us, USA – Olivia Culpo
Olivia is simply stunning! People had mixed reactions about her evening gown during the preliminary but no one can deny that she has one of the best bods in the competition. She also interviews really well and very confident in front of the camera.
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Next up, CROATIA – Elizabeta Burg
You have to be blind to miss the angelic face of Elizabeta. She’s very photogenic, stylish and knows how to work the stage.
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Come on down, GEORGIA – Temar Shedania
She was so unexpected and so fresh. Her performance at preliminary is flawless and was ranked second among our fashion experts’ best evening gown. She worked it and she was noticed!
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The stage is yours, PARAGUAY – Egni Eckert
Another surprise at the preliminary…Egni looked amazing. She projected herself as a winner and came out a winner. She couldn’t do anything wrong that evening…great performance in both evening gown and swimsuit.
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The sixth spot is for the hotness that is, BOLIVIA – Yessica Mouton
From the moment she stepped out on her evening gown, we knew she had it. She exuded pure confidence; she took her time on stage and incorporated some playfulness in her performance. There is only one word to describe this woman, sultry!
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And to join our happy little group, SOUTH AFRICA – Melinda Bam
We have to go with the odds makers’ pick. This woman is non-stop style. A full year of preparation has paid off for Melinda and she is ready to conquer the world!
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The next spot belongs to, NETHERLANDS – Nathalie den Dekker
Her swimsuit performance alone would have catapulted her into the top 16. She loves the camera, knows how to play the crowd and definitely one of best blondes in the competition.
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This moment belongs to, AUSTRALIA – Renae Ayris
Another blonde. Have you been counting? Renae is blonde number 5. The Aussie’s have been doing really well at Miss Universe in recent years and Renae will keep that streak going. She did well at preliminary and since Kooey Australian Swimwear is a big sponsor this year, it just seems appropriate.
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The number 10 spot belongs to, MEXICO – Karina Gonzalez
Even though her performance at the preliminary is a bit mediocre, we think she will still be in the top 16. She has one of the largest supporters in the audience and the two Miss Universe winners from Mexico were both crowned in Las Vegas.
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Let’s welcome, CZECH REPUBLIC – Tereza Chlebovska
Tereza is one of the most beautiful delegates this year and performed really well at preliminary. The Czechs have been doing well in this pageant in recent years and have been sending very well prepared candidates. However, they have never gone pass the top 10 yet. Maybe Tereza will change that.
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To complete our lucky dozen, please come forward, KOSOVO – Diana Avdiu
One glance at this lady and you will understand why she won the award of Miss Photogenic. She is sophisticated, has great style and just plain classy.
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In Vegas, Lucky 13 is, SRI LANKA – Sabrina Herft
This girl just has everything going right for her. Her styling is perfect, she knows how to work the crowd and she’s very confident. She could have picked a better evening gown but remember, the judges are not supposed to judge the gown. They are supposed to judge the contestants on how they look and carry themselves in an evening gown. If that’s the case, Sabrina, you’re safe!
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Only 3 spots left, one of these spots belongs to, THAILAND – Nutpimon Farida Waller (Our guess as the Voters’ Choice)
Farida did well at the preliminary and she is just absolutely gorgeous. She doesn’t look like your typical Thai contestants because Farida is half Thai and half Austrian but grew up in Thailand.
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Only two names left, one of them is, VENEZUELA – Irene Esser
Irene is gorgeous and has a killer bod. Her evening gown was not exactly our favorite but she carried it well. As pretty as she is, she lacks the appeal that her predecessors had but we think she’ll still be up there.
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And rounding out the top 16 is, PHILIPPINES – Janine Tugonon
Miss Universe is a sucker for drama and suspense so we figured that since Janine will probably have the loudest cheer from the audience like Venus in 2010, we have to name her last. Janine is exotic and her body is to die for. Wish she would change her evening gown as it was a bit drab and boring. She also looks better with her hair down so we suggest keeping it that way, adding some volume to it and wearing the yellow gown instead.
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If we have to predict the final five and their placements, we will have to incorporate a little bit of statistics and probabilities. The first competition after the top 16 is always the swimsuit. Looking at the performances in the preliminary, the top 10 women with knockout bodies at the preliminary will score the highest. With that in mind, the top 10 will likely be Australia, Bolivia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, USA, Philippines, Croatia, Netherlands, Puerto Rico and Paraguay.
The top 10 then compete in evening gown, which will decide the top 5. With their preliminary performances in mind and considering who the top 5 women in evening gowns, we believe that the top 5 will be Paraguay, USA, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Australia.
With that said, our prediction for the final placements looks like this:
4th Runner Up – Australia, Renae Ayris
3rd Runner Up – Paraguay, Egni Eckert
2nd Runner Up – Puerto Rico, Bodine Koehler
1st Runner Up – USA, Olivia Culpo
Miss Universe 2012 – South Africa, Melinda Bam
Good luck to all the ladies and to everyone who is creating their own prediction list. The winner will be announced during the live telecast on Wednesday, December 19, from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas at 8pm PST, hosted by Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic.
Meet the 89 Candidates for Miss Universe 2012!
Photos Courtesy of Miss Universe LP, LLLP and graphics by Pageantlovers.com
Two words of pure pressure: Miss Universe
Faced with the task of parading in a bikini and high heels before millions of TV viewers, and giving a smart answer within seconds in the Q&A, guess what worries Miss China the most about competing in the Miss Universe pageant? Being able to interact with the other contestants in English.
“We will stay three weeks with other girls and have a lot of events, a lot of charity. We need to talk, we need to socialize,” the statuesque 22-year-old Xu Jidan says in halting English.
“Miss Universe is not just about good looks, being a Barbie. You should talk, you should show your heart,” she says, adding in Chinese that she fears being misunderstood and mistaken as impolite.
Xu has been training hard for the competition in Las Vegas, which will crown a new Miss Universe on Dec 19. Since winning the China title in Shanghai last month, the model’s days have been filled with lessons in stage presentation, public speaking, human psychology, etiquette, makeup and, of course, English.
She meets with an American tutor, reads English newspapers and watches Hollywood movies (her favorite exercise). “From when I wake up, I will speak English,” says Xu, who hails from Liaoyuan, Jilin province, and holds a bachelor’s degree in fashion design and a master’s in luxury product management.
Wu Lili, public relations manager of the Miss Universe China organization, says: “Even the work staff like us talk to her in English.” They prefer to call her by her English name, Diana.
Then there are the travels abroad to expose her to the limelight and broaden her horizons. In September, Xu attended the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, along with a dozen other Miss Universe contestants. Earlier this month, she walked the red carpet at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
“Seriously, getting the crown is not about how much she has been trained,” Yue-sai Kan, national director of Miss Universe China, says in an exclusive China Daily interview she gave with Xu in Beijing. “A lot depends on how she performs that night onstage. There are things we cannot control.”
Kan, a Chinese-American beauty icon on the mainland, who took the helm of Miss Universe China last year, has said she hopes to produce the first-ever Chinese Miss Universe. The closest China has come to winning the crown was in 2002,
when the country’s first representative to the pageant, 19-year-old Zhuo Ling, became second runner-up.
Last year’s contestant – the first under Kan’s mentorship – 24-year-old Shanghainese Luo Zilin, became fourth runner-up. Kan tries to remain realistic about the odds – Xu is up against some 80 other girls – but you can sense the pressure she’s facing.
“What she is as a person at the age of 22, I can’t cram more into than I can. Everything relies on how she does that night,” Kan says. “It doesn’t matter if she wins or not. In fact, if she wins, I lose her for a year. She works for Miss Universe for a year. “But if she doesn’t win, it’s OK, too. The more important thing is that she represent the country well.”
There must be tremendous strain on the 1.8-meter tall beauty queen, especially since her predecessor landed in the top five. “It’s better to describe it as motivation, not pressure,” Xu says. “In the past 60 years, no Miss China has become
Miss Universe, so I want to achieve better results. This is my motivation.”
With less than two months left before she flies to Las Vegas, what else needs to be done? “I think it’s just helping her to be more confident,” says Tamara Pohlman, the American managing director of Miss Universe China. “Just be yourself, and be proud of where you’re from. She’s beautiful. She’s smart. She has a chance just like any other girl over there – maybe even more because she has a great heart.”
In the self-confidence arena, Xu seems to be learning fast. After the Miss Universe China contest, some members of the public expressed dissatisfaction with her win, homing in on her looks.
Xu, who says she didn’t know about those criticisms, just shrugged them off. “They don’t really know me. But you can’t make all people like you,” she says. “Beauty for everyone is different. I just can improve myself.”
Well said in the language she’s still trying to master.
Courtesy of By Tiffany Tan (China Daily)
Tears and tiaras for Miss Universe China
There were tears and tiaras, controversy and congratulations as 22-year-old model Xu Jidan was crowned Miss Universe China on Saturday night.
Xu, from Liaoyuan, Jilin province, was dressed in a cream-colored evening gown while being crowned with a 3.68 million yuan ($580,000) diamond tiara by 2011’s Miss Universe China, Luo Zilin, also the fourth runner-up at teh 2011 Miss Universe Pageant.
The 1.8-meter-tall graduate from Shanghai Donghua University, impressed the judges and audience with a flamenco dance performance. The Miss Universe Shanghai titleholder was showered with flowers and ticker tape after winning the two-hour contest held in a Shanghai Media Group studio, which was broadcast live online.
Xu Lingyue, 20, from Yunnan province, was second; and Zhang Yutong, 18, from Jilin province, was third.
PAGEANT EXTRA 