Do First Runners-Up really take over?

The line "the role of the first runner up is very important as in any event the queen could not complete her reign for any reason", might already appear as a cliche in beauty pageants. Although a First Runner-Up is an achievement in itself, at the end of the day, nothing is left to the First Runner-Up but to live up the expectation that she is the next in line should the winner not fulfill her obligations.

In the Miss Universe pageant history, there have been a total of sixty-one (61) First Runners-Up declared alongside the Miss Universes. Out of those 61 First Runners-Up, only one was able to take over as the Miss Universe. That is Justine Pacek from Panama who emerged from being a runner-up to become Miss Universe 2002 after Russia's Oxana Fedorova was stripped off the title for reasons not disclosed to the public.

Of course, two of those 61 runners-up are from the Philippines. Miriam Redito Quiambao in 1999 and recently Janine Tugunon in 2012.

Whilst the whole country, Philippines is hopeful that the upward progression of the Miss Universe - Philippines placement the past three years would eventually end up towards winning the elusive 3rd Miss Universe crown, we tried to look back at the Miss Universe history as to the performance of the subsequent representative for countries who made it as First Runner-Up the previous years.

Out of the 61 First Runners-Up, only five (5) instances that the succeeding delegate was able to win the crown. These are: USA, Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico and Japan.
 
1st runner-up                                                     Miss Universe


1953:     USA - Myrna Hansen                                1954:      USA - Miriam Stevenson
1971:    Australia - Toni Rayward                           1972:      Australia - Kerry Anne Wells
1981:    Canada - Dominique Dufour                      1982:      Canada - Karen Dianne Baldwin
2005    Puerto Rico - Cynthia Olavarría                  2005:      Puerto Rico - Zuleyka Rivera
2006:   Japan - Kurara Chibana                               2006:      Japan - Riyo Mori

Only four instances that the next year's representative get to retain the same placement, with Colombia bagging the same runner-up position for three (3) straight years in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

1957:     Brazil - Teresinha Gonçalves Morango     1958:  Brazil - Adalgisa Colombo
1992:    Colombia - Paola Turbay                            1993:  Colombia - Paula Andrea Betancourt
1993:    Colombia - Paula Andrea Betancourt          1994:  Colombia - Carolina Gomez
1997:    Venezuela - Marena Bencomo                     1998:  Venezuela - Veruska Ramirez
 
The rest of the next year's representatives weren't able to sustain their predecessor's placement. USA's 1987 candidate went down a notch in winning 2nd Runner-Up. Three went on to become 3rd Runners-Up. Those were Finland in 1967 and Venezuela in 1968 and 2001. Germany went on to become 4th Runner Up the next year in 1957, Brazil in 1959.

Most of them went on to place in the semi-finals; Top 15; Brazil in 1955, Norway in 1960, and Panama in 2003. Top 12; USA in 1971, Brazil in 1973, USA in 1974 and 1979, Venezuela in 1976. Top 10; USA in 1984 and 2004, and Colombia in 1995. Three ladies made it to the Top 6; USA in 1991, Netherlands in 1992 and Venezuela in 1999.

However, almost half of the next year's bet were not able to place with the exception of Haiti who did not send their representative in 1976.

The question now is, given these trends, how do you think Ariella Arida would fare in this year's Miss Universe pageant? Would she be the sixth lady to escalate her predecessor's accomplishment by winning the crown, sustain the First Runner-Up spot, still make it to the semi-finals, or disappoint the Filipino beauty pageant fanatics for breaking the 3 year winning, progressing streak of the Philippines?

Let's find out on November 09, 2013.......

Miss World might have been waiting for Megan.

After having been disqualified to join the Binibining Pilipinas 2013 because of  the artistic pictorial for a magazine controversy, Megan Young decided to eye for the Miss World 2013 instead.

Young, who also signed up for the Binibining Pilipinas 2012 pageant but apparently withdrew for unknown reason, showed up on July 21,2013 for the wave of Miss World Philippines audition.

As early as now, beau-con fanatics are already excited about the possibility of Megan Young eventually bringing home the first Miss World crown for the Philippines.

Whilst Megan Young has been vocal about her dream of joining the Miss Universe pageant in several interviews since her showbiz debut in 2005 via Starstruck Season 2, her Miss World audition timing is believed to be bringing about positive results.

As a beau-con analyst myself, I can see that Megan is already made for the Miss World competition format.

Unlike the Miss Universe pageant wherein the odds of making it to the Top 15 relies solely on the impression a candidate sets to the preliminary judges, the Miss World format gives a fair chance to all candidates by earning points for themselves through the various preliminary competitions, the Beach Fashion, Performing Talent, Sports Fitness, Top Model, and Beauty with a Purpose among others.

The total scores the candidates accumulate still has bearing until the end of the competition. Hopefully, Megan Young's training team gets to take her exposure to the showbiz industry to her advantage.

Well, it's too early to talk about this as Megan Young needs to win the local title first, but, if you look at the beauty pageant powerhouse country of Venezuela, the secret of their success in any beauty pageant is the fact that they are consistent with their brand and by carefully adjusting their delegate's personality with the format of the pageant.

Hopefully, Megan eventually makes it straight to the Miss World 2013 pageant. 

Just a piece of trivia, in 45 years that Philippines has been sending a delegate to the Miss World Pageant, there were only four (4) instances that Philippines made it as runners-up. That was in 1968, 1973, 1993, and 2011. These 4 ladies have one thing in common, their first names ends with an "N" sound. ARENE Cecilia Anas Amabuyok (4th Runner-up) in 1968, EVANGELINE Luis Pascual (1st Runner-Up) in 1973, SHARMAINE "Ruffa" Rama Gutierrez (2nd Runner-up and Asia & Oceania's Queen of Beauty) in 1993 and GWENDOLINE Ramos Ruais (1st Runner-Up) in 2011.

Besides, on years ending in 3, with the exception of 1983, Philippines have been consistently placing in the Finals. Hopefully, MEGAN is the lucky name to claim the first Miss World crown for the Philippines.