Miss Earth 2013 Review: Albania - Brazil

89 delegates arrived in Manila in early November to compete for the Miss Earth 2013 title. On Saturday (December 7) 88 (Miss New Zealand had to withdraw after she got sick in the Philippines)of them will step on stage hoping to become the 13th Miss Earth.

Even though there is a really strong group of delegate, I must say that it is very hard to follow the pageant after last year's scandal. I actually didn't really follow it that closely this year because that scandal left a bitter taste in my mouth which will probably remain there for quite some time. One the one hand I did decide though to give them a fair shot hoping they will redeem themselves. And on the other hand, I also cover this pageant because my blog is fairly young and I need the hits. I hope this organization will pull themselves together and strive towards fairness and transparency. Integrity and respect can be much more valuable (in the long term) than money gained from selling a title.

Back to the delegates, who don't really need to be involved in all of this. I must say that the quality has improved a lot the last five years and this is probably one of their best bunches yet. Here's my review:

******: POTENTIAL WINNER
*****: POTENTIAL RUNNER-UP
****: POTENTIAL TOP 8 FINALIST
***: POTENTIAL TOP 16 FINALIST
**: UNLIKELY TO PLACE
*: HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO PLACE

ALBANIA: AFROVITI GOGE **

A few years ago, Afroviti would probably have been seen as a front-runner for the title but Miss Earth has become much more competitive in recent years. She is tall and striking but it does not seem that she has made much of an impact so far.

AUSTRALIA: RENERA THOMPSON ***

I am surprised that Renera is not getting more attention. I think she is a stunning, natural beauty that could be a hit with the judges, especially if she charms them in interview. Australia has not had much luck in this pageant. Will they be ignored again?

AUSTRIA: KATIA WAGNER ****

Austria seemed to have gotten it right with Katia. She has been getting a lot of attention and after being shortlisted in the swimsuit and talent preliminaries, it seems that she could do her country very proud this year.

BAHAMAS: VANDIA SANDS *

Vania’s national costume was chosen as the best of the group from the Americas. That is something to be proud of. But other than that, I think it might be an uphill battle for her as this group is quite competitive.

BELGIUM: KRISTINA DE MUNTER *

It seems like Belgium isn’t getting as much buzz as last year. She has been virtually ignored so far. It seems like her chances of placing are not that great.

BELIZE: AMBER RIVERO *

Belize has sent a few other stunners before her who failed to place, so I don’t think Amber is going to break their unlucky streak.

BOLIVIA: MARIA RENE CARMONA ****

Maria is exceptionally tall. At 1,85m, she is the tallest girl in this year’s competition. She has definitely made an impact so far. She is in the finals for both the Resorts Wear and the Swimsuit preliminaries. Bolivia placed in the very first Miss Earth Pageant and the chances are great that they will do it again this year.

BONAIRE: JEANNINE OTTENHOF **

This is the first time Bonaire is competing for the Miss Earth title and it’s always nice to welcome a new country. She is a pretty girl and I think she’ll go down in the record books as her country’s first representative at this pageant.  

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: VERA KRNETA **

Vera got quite a bit of buzz before the pageant but it seemed to die down once she arrived in Manila. Her lovely red hair makes her stand out but I don’t think she is going to place.

BRAZIL: PRISCILLA MARTINS ******

Brazil is one of the powerhouses of Miss Earth. They consistently send stunners who are crown favorites and this year is no exception. Priscilla is absolutely gorgeous and she is definitely in it to win it. I would not be surprised if she won the whole thing.

Photos: www.missearth.tv