Miss Universe 2018 Finals: H'Hen Niê makes it to the Top 20

The 67th Miss Universe pageant featured contestants from 94 countries and territories, surpassing the record of 94 contestants set in 2017.

According to this year's rules, the organizers will select the top 20 instead of the top 16 as in the previous season, followed by the top 10 and top 5. Steve Harvey will continue as host alongside model Ashley Graham.

The Top 20 will include 5 contestants from Europe, 5 from the Americas, 5 from Africa and Asia-Pacific, with the remaining 5 randomly selected from all contestants. The Top 10 will showcase both swimwear and evening gowns for the judges to select the Top 5 to advance to the Q&A round.

Wearing short dresses, 94 beautiful women from many countries and territories walked out to greet the audience.

MC Steve Harvey announced the five contestants from Asia, Africa, and Oceania who made it into the Top 20 immediately after the contestants' performances. The five representatives from Asia, Africa, and Oceania are: Tamaryn Green (South Africa), Catriona Gray (Philippines), Manita Devkota (Nepal), H'Hen Niê (Vietnam), and Sophida Kanchanarin (Thailand).

The Vietnamese representative officially made it into the top 20 amidst the cheers of thousands of spectators. The beauty queen interacted with the audience quite fluently in English.

From 1997 to 2014, under Donald Trump's presidency, the Miss Universe pageant was known for its beautiful, incredibly sexy contestants, outstanding stage presence, and especially their ability to generate media buzz.

Back then, swimsuit and evening gown performances accounted for two-thirds of the total score, while interviews only made up one-third to select the Top 15 semi-finalists. Then, based on stage performance skills in the final night, the remaining contestants were gradually eliminated, leaving only the Top 10 and Top 5, creating a competition exclusively for a few beauty powerhouses in Latin America, who took turns reaching the top and winning top prizes.

However, since 2015, when the pageant was taken over by IMG, the criteria have suddenly shifted 180 degrees, with many new and less-noticed countries achieving unexpected success. For three consecutive years, the winners have been under 1.70m tall, sometimes possessing a beauty that is difficult to appreciate, yet they have all been crowned thanks to their ability to answer questions and communicate effectively.

The organizers also announced that the judging would be based on the entire competition process, not just the two preliminary and final nights. 60% of the score would be determined by the organizing committee members based on her personality during the 2-3 weeks of the competition, her demeanor, and her interview performance; while 40% would be based on her performance skills and beauty.

This means that the criteria for Miss Universe are now beginning to follow the model of Miss World, prioritizing girls with depth of character, active social involvement, and intellectual intelligence.

The most promising candidates

The first candidate worth mentioning is Miss Philippines - Catrolina Gray (born January 6, 1994), who is of Australian-African descent, giving her an extremely striking, captivating, elegant, and sophisticated face.

Next, we must mention Tamaryn Green (born August 19, 1994), who is expected to achieve a back-to-back victory for South Africa. The first thing that impresses people about this African contestant is her international beauty, a promising commercial face.

Don't be surprised if Miss Puerto Rico - Kiara Ortega (born August 23, 1993) unexpectedly wins the crown despite her height being under 1.70m and her relatively modest appearance compared to other competitors.

Thirteen years ago, Canada won the Miss Universe 2005 crown right here in Thailand, and former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova is hoping that her compatriot, Marta Stępień (born January 23, 1994), also a Canadian of Eastern European descent and a true warrior who has competed in many international beauty pageants before, will win.

Besides the strong contestants mentioned above, one should also be wary of other contestants from Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, etc., all of whom have the potential to cause big surprises in the upcoming final night.

H'Hen Niê is facing a historic opportunity.

Vietnam's representative at this year's competition is Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H'Hen Niê. Born in 1992, she hails from Dak Lak and is of the Ede ethnic group. She is 1.72m tall with measurements of 84-60-93.

Throughout this time, H'Hen Niê has consistently made a strong impression on the judges and fans both domestically and internationally.

In the recent semi-final round, the beauty queen continued to demonstrate her prowess. With two impressive swimsuit and evening gown performances, H'Hen Niê received high praise from numerous beauty experts and was predicted to have the potential to make a mark in the final round.