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.......
No comments:
Post a Comment