The Miss Universe 2024 held its Preliminary Competition in Mexico City on November 15 (Philippine time).
An impressive 126 queens competed in this year's preliminary round, the most in the history of the Miss Universe competition.
For this year's preliminary rounds, four continental queens and 1 fan-vote winner will be chosen to be part of the semifinals. The upcoming semifinalists will also see an increase in the number of queens from 20; now we can expect 30 to compete for the coveted crown during Coronation Night.
Preliminary Evening Gown competition
Our Philippine bet, Chelsea Manalo, won a classy and flowing blue long gown made by Manny Halasan, the same designer who made her Hiraya National Costume. It was described as “dancing with the waves of the sea.”
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| Chelsea Manalo looks like a princess of the ocean in her flowy blue gown made by Manny Halasan. Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Chelsea Anne Manalo |
Swimsuit competition
Chelsea stayed true to her ocean-inspired look as she put her curly hair down and wore a blue two-piece bikini with a gold scarf to match. She strutted down the Miss U stage with confidence, earning the praise from many of her fans.
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| Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Chelsea Anne Manalo |
SEE ALSO: Chelsea Manalo's 'Hiraya' national costume in Miss Universe 2024
SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS
Voice for Change Silver Finalists and Gold Winners
These awards are given to queens based on their strong advocacies and impact to the community.
The Gold Winners are:
- Bolivia
- Guatemala
- and Cambodia
Each will receive a gold brooch and a cash prize of $12,000, of which a portion will go to the charity of their choice.
The Silver finalists are:
- Aruba
- Bahrain
- Eritrea
- Finland
- Guinea
- Thailand
- Cayman Islands
Best National Host Tour Country
The Philippines was recognized as the Best National Host Tour Country during the preliminary competition.
Pageant manager Jonas Gaffud accepted the award on behalf of Miss Universe Philippines.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/ Miss Universe Philippines |
Who will win the coveted first-ever Philippine-made Miss Universe crown?
The Coronation Night will be on Sunday, November 17 (Manila time.) Stay tuned on The Summit Express for more updates.
— Sally, The Summit Express
