PH bet Gwendolyne Fourniol makes early exit in 71st Miss World pageant

FRENCH-FILIPINA Gwendolyne Fourniol, the Philippines’ representative to the 71st edition of the Miss World pageant, concluded her journey early after she failed to make it to the competition’s Top 40.

The 71st Miss World tilt was held on Saturday, March 9, in India. The Miss World pageant is among the four major international pageants alongside Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth.

Miss World 2013 and Kapuso actress Megan Young was present at the coronation night as a co-host, along with Indian TV personality Karan Johar.

Fourniol, 23, was aiming for the country’s second Miss World title, which was first won by Young. 

Beauty queens who made it to the Top 40 were from Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, England, Lebanon, Croatia, Martinique, Tunisia, Nepal, Ukraine, Uganda, Brazil, Vietnam, Belize, Canada, Dominican Republic, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Türkiye, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Gibraltar, Italy, Spain, and Wales.

In the end, it was Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic who was crowned the new Miss World, succeeding Karolina Bielawska of Poland.

Despite not clinching the Philippines’ second Miss World crown, Filipinos were still proud of how the Gen Z Pinay beauty queen raised the country’s flag in the international pageant.

In a Facebook post, the Miss World Philippines Organization thanked Fourniol for representing the country “with utmost pride and honor.”

“You truly made us proud with your remarkable performance. You are still our winner. Thank you for raising our flag high!” it said.

Several netizens also commented on the organization’s post and sent their congratulatory messages.

“Though the results may not have reflected it, your performance was nothing short of exceptional. Your presence on the stage was a beacon of pride for our nation, and you represented us with unparalleled honor,” one Facebook user wrote.

Fourniol’s performance

Before the coronation night, Fourniol qualified for Miss World’s “fast-track” events.

She made it to the Top 20 Top Model, Top 23 Talent, Top 32 Sports Challenge, and Top 25 Head-to-Head Challenge.

According to the Miss World website, finalists of the Head-to-Head Challenge were chosen based on their speeches about their respective Beauty With a Purpose projects.

Fourniol highlighted her advocacy for education.

“Today, I speak before you to advocate for Sustainable Development Goal No. 4, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable education for all, and promote lifelong, lifetime opportunities,” she said in her speech.

She shared her mother’s experience of getting assistance from ERDA (Education Research and Development Assistance) to finish her academic degree and lift her family out of poverty.

“This is what education is all about: it is to destroy the cycle of poverty and to open doors to opportunities [for] a brighter future for individuals and communities,” she added.

The beauty queen also proposed a solution to the education gap: “T.I.P” which stands for “Technology, Investment, and Policy.”

Aside from being an education advocate, Fourniol has also been musically inclined since she was a kid. In her introduction video for Miss World, she shared that her love for music ignited when she was 10 years old, when she started playing the piano and singing.