For the third time this decade, the Supranational pageants took place at the Strezelecki Park Amphitheater in Nowy Sacz, Małopowska, Poland. As usual, the female contest kicked off the two-day affair, with the male counterpart happening a day later.

Production-wise, it was all still generally the same schtick, but with slight variations. The Eurovision–esque intermissions were still there, and so were the covers of recent hits in the soundtrack. Miss Earth fans will likely note the presence of Shontelle, both as judge and as performer. The American R & B singer had served in the said pageant in similar capacities twice before. Once again, she performed her 2010 single Impossible.

For the first time ever, the National Costume Extravaganza was staged (and streamed) in a separate event, though the clips were still repurposed for the actual pageant but with a different music bed. The pageant’s streaming was also preceded by exclusive red carpet coverage, which could have been more substantial had there been commentary. Still, it offered a fresh vantage point, especially to those watching outside Europe.

Gone were the Victoria’s Secret-inspired candidate introductions. This time, viewers actually heard their voices. Though, the catwalk segments reverted to the fashion show feel later on.

Once again, Ivan Podrez facilitated the pre-pageant activities with Martin Fitch returning as finale host. Much to fans’ general approval, the most welcome addition was former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss, whose soothing presence provided a relaxing tone to the event, proof that one can still command a crowd while still being calm. Hopefully, we see her again in subsequent editions.  

65 ladies competed this year, with at least 45 showing worthy qualities. Following recent formats, the roster was first whittled down to a Top 24, followed by a Top 12, and then finally, a Top Five. And, once again, Continental Awards were handed among each region’s best performers outside the winners’ circle.

 NOTABLE NON-PLACERS. In a field this wildly competitive, surprise exclusions were still bound to happen. But first, special mention to Korea’s Juhyeon Roh, the only non-placer to win a special award. The singer won Best in Talent, though others may have vouched for Japan’s Mayuko Hanawa as well. Now, on to the snubbed favorites.

With three fast-track citations and, not to mention, a last-minute Talent nod, Canada’s Alexa Grant seemed to be in the org’s good graces. But to everyone’s disbelief, she wasn’t called in. Some had clung on to hope that she’d suddenly break into the Top 12 via Fan Vote, but then, she was up against Southeast Asians in that fast-track.

The shockers did not end there. Also missing were Cote d’Ivoire’s Yasmine Wognin and the United States’ Rylee Spinks, who might have peaked in Supra-Model. There’s also Guatemala’s Nadia Estubier, who could have easily won Miss Photogenic, but lost that award and her slot to her Central American “next-door neighbor”. And there’s Germany’s Maria Ignat. Apparently, only Miyako Miyazaki (Miss Universe Japan 2003) could get away with such a risqué gown (or even lack thereof).

The most jarring omission, though, was Czech Republic’s Marie Jedličková. The stunner seemed on track to secure a Top Five finish and looked sensational in the preliminaries, despite the lack of energy. But was her performance really that subdued? Or has the pageant gone Miss Universe’s direction in prioritizing closed-door interview? Only the powers-that-be will truly know. Either way, she’ll now go down in history as this pageant’s strongest shut-out.

EURO-SHOCKERS. With the perceived European front-runner out of the way, it made room for fresh surprises. Sure, Poland’s Aleksandra Klepaczka was always a shoo-in, but her presence amped up when it mattered. Clearly, sash factor was no longer the only thing at play.  Then, there’s Spain’s 18-year-old Lola Wilson, who beat the odds at a time 1/3 of her peers were older than 26. Of course, her country would have greater cause for celebration: 24 hours later, her compatriot Ivan Alvarez became Europe’s first Mister Supranational winner.

The bigger Euro-shockers, however, were at the next tier. The Netherlands’ Luna-Isabella Stienstra, seen as a dark horse at best, didn’t only make the cut; she also proved compelling enough to last one more round. Her Top 12 speech, was arguably, among the most cohesive.

Then, there’s Gibraltar’s Michelle Lopes Desoisa who wasn’t unanimously expected to make serious impact at first. But, lo and behold, she earned her territory its best finish in this pageant and won Miss Supranational Europe.

AFRICAN STREAK-ENDER. If last year proved momentous for black Africans, this year fell rather short. No woman of color made it past the Top 24, even with Zimbabwe’s Sakhile Dube securing her spot through the Supra-Model fast track. Well, one way she did one-up her previous Miss Earth finish was that she actually wound up with a tiara this time. She earned the Miss Supranational Africa title.

Aside from Sakhile, two other African delegates advanced. Continuing the streak for South Africa was Ayanda Thabethe, who also won Miss Congeniality, and scoring a breakthrough for her debuting country was Botswana’s Dabilo Moses.

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT. Save for Hong Kong, last year’s Asian placers were favored to advance again, albeit to different degrees. 19-year-old Yasintha Aurelia, for instance, wasn’t pegged to replicate last year’s 3^rd Runner-Up finish, but at least she kept Indonesia in the running. On the other hand, there’s Sabah’s Diedre Walker, who scored a rare back-to-back placement for Malaysia. The biggest ASEAN upset was National Costume winner Thailand. Not everyone expected First Wang to finish, well, first, but the veteran was visualized to at least fight for a Top Five slot. Alas, she stopped in the Top 24.

India’s Pragnya Ayyagari was slightly more fortunate.With her compatriot Srinidhi Shetty in the panel, the odds felt favorable. But after a truncated speech, the stunner had to settle with the Miss Supranational Asia title.

ISLAND GIRL TOSS-UP. Two Latina islanders recovered their countries’ prospects after a year of missing the cut. Though not unanimously favored at first, both Dominican Republic’s Crystal Matos and Puerto Rico’s Camille Fabery justified their Top 12 showings.

It’s perplexing how Curaçao’s Andreina Pereira won Miss Supranational Caribbean, despite only finishing in the Top 24. Did her Contestants’ Choice award give her that edge?

NEW WORLD DOMINATES. Even with the Caribbean girls lumped in a separate group, the Americas still secured the most placements, including one surprise. When El Salvador’s Luciana Martinez won Miss Photogenic early that evening, it hinted she had better chances. True enough, she snuck into the Top 24, just like Linda Sibrian did in 2021. In contrast, there’s Selene Delgado, who slid out of frontrunner status rather quickly over the weeks. While she thankfully remained in contention, the question remains: When will Venezuela ever win here? Same applies for Colombia, which missed the Top 12, despite Valentina Mora’s strong performance.

At least Mexico’s Vanessa Lopez managed to power through. That marked her country’s first placement since 2019 and highest since 2015.

Then came the most jaw-dropping twist. Prior to that evening, majority of fans had Peru’s Valeria Flórez as the odds-on favorite for the crown. Yet, despite a spotless performance throughout, she settled with the Miss Supranational Americas title instead. So, what could have prevented her from fulfilling those forecasts? Well, turns out another South American had been gathering steam all along.

Now with every quarterfinalist, semi-finalist, and Continental Ambassador accounted for, we move on to the eventual Top Five.

INDOCHINESE OF CHOICE. No one can undermine Vietnam’s fan base. So, much as Ngan Dang Thanh wasn’t Indochina’s frontrunner, a Fan Vote win was always likely. True enough, that award became her fast-track ticket to the Top 12, and, in the process, she outran her highly favored Thai neighbor. Very few foresaw what would transpire after.

Despite a rather choppy Top 12 speech, she continued charming the judges into a higher placement. Perhaps, emotional delivery trumped actual response, but after answering the final question in the same manner, 4^th Runner-Up was her limit. Whatever the case, she can relish keeping her country in the Top Five for the second straight year and being a worthy follow through to Miss Universe 2021 alumna Kim Duyen. And speaking of which…

BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH. Clearly, Miss Universe 2021 alumnae experience better fortunes here. Just take the case of Poland, Vietnam, and, especially, South Africa last year.Presumably, Emma Rose Collingridge aimed for the same arc, even if the tight race held no guarantees. Yet the former Miss Universe Great Britain also bore two more distinctions: She’s first to wear the United Kingdom sash. Prior to her, the constituent countries competed separately. She was also the first British Supranational candidate under King Charles III’s reign. Surely, those factors amounted to something.  

Come finals night, she delivered and advanced, as expected. And, as many had hoped, she also made the second cut. All throughout, she brought an air of sophistication and grace that set her apart, and that sealed the deal. Just like her MU 2021 sisters before her, she exceeded her previous feat. She was 3^rd Runner-Up.

Some may argue that her eloquence warranted a higher ranking. Either way, she broke the previous record held by a Brit – that would be England’s Amanda Ball, who finished 4^th Runner-Up in 2009 (the pageant’s inaugural edition). Moreover, 40 years since the UK sash won in a global tilt, she came close to restoring that heyday. So, perhaps waving the Union Jack flag really was a lucky move. And here’s another fun fact: She’s the highest ranking delegate without a Mister Supranational counterpart.

DEFYING BRACKETS. Many have vouched: had Megan Young hypothetically skipped Miss World 2013, Brazil’s Sancler Frantz could have been next in line. Except, she wasn’t even. The blonde bombshell memorably settled with Top Six and came to be known as one of global pageantry’s biggest what-ifs. That was, until this pageant extended its age limit to 33 and reopened the doors to many, including her. And, at 32, she was still in fighting form.

Truly, it was a huge leap towards age inclusivity. Had the pageant gone the extra mile, it would have been quite a story – to crown someone outside the previous norm, and thus redefine the brand buzzwords of “Aspirational” and “Inspirational”. But in this elevated face-off, she was hailed 2^nd Runner-Up.

It may not have been the redemption story fans envisioned, but it was still a milestone. Ten years after her iconic first run, the esteemed veteran finally secured a higher ranking. So, regardless of eventual turnout, her resurfacing still sparked hope and is bound to alter the game in years to come. In that angle, she can (re-)retire on a high note.

HER OWN ARCHETYPE. Pauline Amelinckx was never your run-of-the-mill queen. She was always the pretty girl next door, always cordial upon first encounter, and never hesitant to show her goofy side. On the other extreme, she’s also extremely compelling, able to supply mic-drop moments while still sounding sweet and relatable. See, she was never about big speeches; she simply conveys her truth. And connects.

There was always an inkling she’d go far in Poland – to what extent, it was too soon to tell. Yet, she wisely stuck to her aces as weeks progressed and dropped the occasional surprise when it mattered. Her evolution through the years was incredible.

To no surprise, she dominated the Supra-Chat Challenge, which became her ticket to the Top 24. After qualifying for the Top 12, her immense gift of gab did the rest.

After the Final Question, it felt like a toss-up between her and UK. But as many fans have deduced, certain pageants still have preferred archetypes. Thus, after seemingly delivering the most solid answer, the Boholana-Belgian finished 1^st Runner-Up.

Yes, it feels anti-climactic. But to anyone who followed her pageant journey since 2018, it was still a fitting culmination. Because for the first time since Mutya Datul’s 2013 landmark win, the Philippines was back in the winners’ circle. It took her only two months of prep to end that drought.

CENTER OF THE WORLD TAKES CENTERSTAGE. Look, this wasn’t the first time a candidate won with a middling response. For better appreciation, just replay the final answers of Olivia Culpo (Miss Universe 2012), Andrea Meza (Miss Universe 2020), or even Priyanka Chopra, who won Miss World 2000 despite citing Mother Teresa as the most inspiring woman alive. The list goes on. Point is, final Q and A isn’t always the decisive factor. Often, it all boils down to overall impression or whom the judges just straight up adored – simple as that. That very case seemed to apply again here.

Just like a handful of others in the lot, Ecuador’s Andrea Aguilera entered with unfinished business. Two years ago, she was Miss Grand International’s 1^st Runner-Up, a placement that vexed countless fans who swore she was more rightful. But it wasn’t like vindication was easily hers for the picking. Much as South America seemed destined for a second crown, fans listed Peru and Brazil as the likely suspects, with Colombia as the potential spoiler. As for Andrea, she was seen as a Top Five shoo-in at best. As she eased into the Top 24 and beyond come finals night, she just plain delivered – even if she wore the same dress from her preliminaries.

Then came the final round, where the Top Five were asked “What makes a good brand ambassador for this organization?” Three of the finalists mentioned specific traits (dedication for Philippines, personality for Brazil, and relatability for the UK), but, in hindsight, they could be referring to any brand.

Vietnam and Ecuador went the extra mile and mentioned the brand in question – the pageant itself. Vietnam buckled, but Ecuador managed to tie in her advocacy: “For me, working with Miss Supranational organization will be the greatest honor of my life. I could travel the world, carry its legacy. I would really love to start my own foundation to help single moms to find employment. But one of the most important things for me, the Miss Supranational platform.”

It’s possible that, despite her shaky and rather vague response, the judges appreciated her cutesy and candid delivery, and that she had a vision. Plus, let’s not rule out the possibility that she was the favorite from the get-go, even if her lack of fast track placements suggested otherwise.

With her victory, Andrea is now the second South American after Paraguay’s Stephania Stegman (2015) to win the title, and fourth Latina overall, if we count Panama‘s Karina Pinilla (2010, a Central American) and Puerto Rico‘s Valeria Velez (2018, Caribbean). It’s a refreshing result for a country not always known for pageant glory. More importantly, it’s another case of “redirected, not denied”. After all that’s said and done, she was destined for a crowning moment after all.  

Wishing Andrea a fulfilling and eventful reign ahead!