Vietnamese representative stops in top 10 of Miss Grand International

Maria Jose Lora, 27 years old, won the crown in the final round of the contest held in Phu Quoc, Kien Giang, on the evening of October 25.

Maria Jose Lora won over 76 contestants in the fifth Miss Grand International pageant. She received the crown from her predecessor -Miss Grand International 2016Ariska Putri Pertiwi.

Maria Jose Lora at her coronation.

Maria Jose Lora is 27 years old this year. She is 1.8 m tall, with measurements of 85-60-87 cm. The beauty is the director of a model management company in the US. Before the final round, Maria was the contestant most expected to win the crown. During the competition night, the Peruvian beauty performed well in the swimsuit, evening gown, speech and question and answer segments.

* The moment of coronationMaria Jose Lora

In particular, her answer when entering the Top 5 was highly appreciated. Before the question:"If you could pass a law to punish war crimes and violence, what law would you pass?"Maria Jose LoraAnswer: “I will take them to live in refugee camps so they can feel the pain, suffering and despair of families who have experienced war and violence.”.

* Top 5 oral exam

The first runner-up is from Venezuela, the second runner-up is from the Philippines, the third runner-up is from Puerto Rico, and the fourth runner-up is from the Czech Republic.

Vietnam's representative - Huyen My - stopped at Top 10. Although she did not advance further, Huyen My's performance in the final round was quite confident and radiant. She made an impression when she and the Top 10 participated in the speech contest on the topic of ending war and violence.

Huyen My speaks in English: "War always leaves behind serious consequences. Growing up in a country that has endured many wars, I understand the consequences it leaves behind, mothers who have lost their children, wives who have become widows, many people are still dying slowly from the remaining weapons, millions of people have died and their bodies have not yet been found. One of the most serious consequences is the disease caused by Agent Orange...".The beauty believes that what people need to do most is to open their hearts and spread the message of love.

Huyen My (left) had good spirit in the final.

* Top 10 speeches expressing the contest's message

The finals lasted nearly three hours. Initially, the competition night encountered a minor problem when heavy rain forced the organizers to postpone it 20 minutes from the scheduled time. However, the event went smoothly. The program script was quite tight and focused on honoring the contestants, without any musical performances in between.

77 beauties wearing modernized ao dai, holding conical hats shaped like red flags and yellow stars performed together to open the show. After that,The competition night announced the Top 20, Top 10, and Top 5 respectively. Correspondingly, there were the swimsuit, evening gown, and interview rounds.

* Top 20 swimsuit competition

The highlight of the program was the speeches. After the Top 10 were announced, the contestants gave speeches on the topic of ending violence and war. They all wore ao dai designed specifically for the competition. The ao dai had a flock of doves as the main motif - a symbol of peace. The blue birds were decorated with more than 1,000 crystals, and the collars were stylized from dove wings.The contest satisfied the audience by highlighting the contest's message in a profound and humane way.

The Top 5's interview with a general question about a law to punish war crimes and violence was also well-received. In particular, the answers clearly classified the candidates.

International beauties wearing modernized ao dai perform together.

The image of Vietnam - the host country - is elegantly shown through the ao dai worn by international beauties. The competition night also witnessed the emotional moment ofAriska Putri Pertiwi -Miss Grand International 2016 - when she appeared on stage, recounting a year in charge. Her voice was emotional as she talked about her trips around the world, helping people in need, especially children.

The final jury includes Ms. Teresa Chaivisut - Vice President of Miss Grand International Organization, Miss Grand International 2016 - Ariska Putri Pertiwi, Miss Grand International 2015 - Elizabeth Parker, Miss Grand International 2014 - Lees Daryanne Garcia, Miss Grand International 2013 - Janelee Marcus Chaparro Colon, designer Si Hoang, Miss Giang My, beauty Ly Nha Ky.

The show is hosted by actor and singer Alexander Xian Lim and Nicole Cordoves - 1st Runner-up Miss Grand International 2016.

Miss Grand International (abbreviated MGI) was launched in 2013. Currently, MGI is ranked among the top international beauty pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Supranational. MGI's main message is "Stop war and violence".

The fifth Miss Grand International was held in Vietnam from October 5 to 25. During the 20 days of the competition, 77 contestants visited many locations in Vietnam such as Quang Binh, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phu Quoc.

According to VNE