GROUP 8

CUBA – Monica Aguilar. The incumbent Mr. Supranational is from her island country, so that might earn her mileage. Outside of that, this biology student hasn’t made much of a splash. 

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Crystal Matos. In a year anticipated to be a fierce Latina showdown, this sociologist has been catching up. Even without fast-track placements, she’s foreseen to score high marks.

PERU – Valeria Flórez. Ever since this pageant introduced us to Janick Maceta, the Land of the Incas never left the radar. This artist might just usher in another record high. Supra-Chat and Supra-Fan Vote placements notwithstanding, she’s already a shoo-in. But it’s her solid appearances and commanding interviews that might just seal the deal. Nothing set in stone yet, but the odds are indeed favorable. 

PUERTO RICO – Camille Fabery. Despite joining with little fanfare, this model-actress pulled a major surprise by qualifying for Supra-Model of the Caribbean. While she she’s no longer in the running in that fast-track, that placement will likely earn her mileage. 

SPAIN – Lola Wilson. At 18, this fashion model’s the youngest in the lot; the age gap between her and the eldest delegate can now compete in Miss Teen USA. It’s surprising that she’s not pegged as a frontrunner yet. But if her Supra-Model of Europe nod were any hint, she might be gaining momentum.

GROUP 9 

CROATIA – Anetta Rajkovic. Thus far, this Adriatic country only placed in the inaugural 2009 edition. This teen hasn’t garnered enough buzz to assure a comeback. 

CZECH REPUBLIC – Marie Jedličkova. The host country’s southwestern neighbor has been placing non-stop since 2019, and she can very well sustain the streak. She also has a fair shot at a back-to-back Czech win in the Supra-Model fast track.

FINLAND – Linda Heinonen. She’s as formidable as any Finnish contestant can get these days. Imagine if she chose Miss International instead; she’d be a crown contender there. Here, she stands to be relegated, even if she does have the merits to power through. 

POLAND – Aleksandra Klepaczka. Even during her Miss Universe quest last January, we knew better fortunes would be found here. Given this highly competitive group, however, a Top 24 placement might be just right. 

SLOVAKIA – Simona Leskovská. Apart from Belarus, which has yet to return post-pandemic, this is the only other country to once serve as host. Much as they benefitted from that then, they’ve noticeably fallen under the radar. Well, this 32-year-old sports reporter has a fair shot at regaining that heyday, but a placement is still too close to call. 

UNITED KINGDOM – Emma Rose Collingridge. Since the constituent countries never really competed full force in one year, it makes sense to just represent the whole Kingdom. This Medusa fan was first seen in Miss Universe 2021. Surely, that exposure contributed to her Supra-Chat placement, and she’ll most probably follow the footsteps of her MU sisters, Vietnam’s Kim Duyen and the reigning queen Lalela Mswane. With no other fast track citations, however, Top 24 might be enough in this tough batch. Either way, she deserves to carry the Union Jack flag far. 

GROUP 10

HONG KONG – Vinci Chan. This psychologist can engage a crowd and earned a Talent nod for her illustration skills. Unfortunately, that’s not a fast-track event, so a back-to-back placement feels unlikely. 

INDONESIA – Yasinta Aurellia. She may not be as highly touted as last year’s 3^rd Runner-Up Adinda Creishela, or even 2021 fan favorite Jihane Almira, but the streak might just continue. This 19-year-old is in the running for the Supra-Influencer and Supra-Fan Vote fast tracks. 

JAPAN – Mayuko Hanawa. This opera singer is half-Pinay. She was even “Mutya ng Japan” in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018, where she won Best in Talent. She has a strong shot at winning the same award here, and with luck, might even usurp a placement slot. It also recently occurred to some fans that she vaguely resembles Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori. 

KOREA – Juhyeon Roh. The question remains: Who will ever follow Jenny Kim’s footsteps? Well, for now, this Berklee College of Music graduate probably garnered points. Plus, she earned the spotlight at the Talent finals, where she sang Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing. 

PHILIPPINES – Pauline Amelinckx. As many a Pinoy fan would vouch, it’s been a long time coming. Not everyone remembers that, before joining Miss Universe Philippines thrice, this Boholana-Belgian also won a title in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018*, where she first crossed paths with Miss Japan. Sadly, that title never earned her a shot to compete abroad. So, to finally hear her shout “PHILIPPINES”, after five years of hearing her shout “BOHOL”, it’s happy-tear-inducing, to say the least. And, somehow, everyone had an inkling she’d be the best speaker in the bunch. Now, as for her overall prospects, well, overcoming the greats will still be a lot of work, but the years of local experience indeed served her well. Factor in her engaging personality and her triple threat of fast-track placements (Supra-Chat, Supra-Fan Vote, and Supra-Influencer), she is more than well-equipped. 

UKRAINE – Alina Liashuk. If you notice her undamaged, orderly surroundings in her Introduction Video, that’s because that video was repurposed from Miss Ukraine 2021 (in other words: months or even a year before the unspeakable began). Seeing anyone from her country in action will always be a source of comfort these days. While her prospects are less than guaranteed, she is competing strongly.  

UNITED STATES – Rylee Spinks. The state of Nebraska returns to the global stage, thanks to this professional model. Her Introduction Video may be one of the weakest, but that shouldn’t deduct from her strong chances. She was also briefly up for the Supra-Model fast-track but was edged out by Colombia. 

ZIMBABWE – Sakhile Dube. Of the two 2022 alumna to cross over to this pageant, she, by far, had the better previous showing. She arrived in Małowpowska still every inch the contender we saw in Miss Earth, where she placed in the Top Eight. With luck, she might even surpass that finish. Her Supra-Model of Africa citation sure bodes well.