Miss Universe 2019 candidates: Gunzaya Bat-Erdene is Miss Mongolia

Anh Bayar, Gunzaya Bat-Erdene

Gunzaya Bat-Erdene, 24, will represent Mongolia in Miss Universe 2019. She is the second woman to represent the country in the international beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization, which is currently owned by the WME/IMG talent agency.

Born on September 15, 1995, Gunzaya hails from Ulanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The city is home to the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan, the International Intellectual Museum, the Gandan Khiid, the Sükhbaatar Square, the Tasgany Ovoo, the Badma Ega Datsan, the Centre of Shaman Eternal Heavenly Sophistication, the Dashchoilon Khiid and the Chinggis Khan Waxworks Museum.

On September 20, 2019, Gunzaya was crowned Miss Universe Mongolia 2019 at the UB Palace Concert Hall in Ulaanbaatar besting 13 other candidates. She succeeded her fellow Ulaanbaatar native Miss Universe Mongolia 2019 by Miss Universe Mongolia 2018 Dolgion Delgarjav, 27.

Mongolian National Broadcaster news anchor Anh Bayar is the national director of Miss Universe Mongolia. The newly crowned Miss Universe Mongolia 2019 is into dancing and sports and she stands 5’8″.

Aside from Mongolian, the Ulanbaatar native is fluent in English and speaks a little German. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Ikh Zasag International University in Ulaanbaatar and attended Cebu International Academy in Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines.

Gunzaya is an advocate of women’s rights. For her, competing in beauty pageants is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to give a voice to women.

Miss Universe is a unique beauty pageant and a great platform for those who have no voice, Gunzaya pointed. She thinks that it is a rare opportunity to represent Mongolia in an international stage and promote her country’s heritage and values to the world.

Miss Universe 2019 is not Gunzaya’s first international beauty pageant. In 2014, she represented Mongolia in Miss Intercontinental in Germany but did not place.

In 2016, Gunzaya won Miss City Tourism World and Miss Leisure World both in China. In 2018, she was the third runner-up in World Miss Tourism Ambassador.

If Gunzaya wins Miss Universe 2019, she will be the international beauty pageant’s first titleholder from her country. Delgerjav did not place when Mongolia made its debut in Miss Universe in 2018.

Catriona Gray, 25, of the Philippines is the reigning Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Miss Universe from her country and the 67th woman to hold the title.

Miss Universe 2019 candidates: Natalie Ortega is Miss Spain

Natalie Ortega, Angela Ponce

Spanish-Norwegian model Natalie Ortega, 20, will represent Spain in Miss Universe 2019. She is the 60th woman to represent her country in the international beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization, which is currently owned by the WME/IMG talent agency.

Ortega is fluent in Spanish, Norwegian and English. Her father is Spanish while her mother is Norwegian.

Currently, Ortega is studying Italian. Aside from modeling, she also wants to pursue a career in teaching.

The multilingual Spanish-Norwegian model hails from Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, Spain. The city is home to Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barri Gòtic, Casa Mila, Palau de la Música Catalana, Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, Camp Nou and the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.

On September 18, 2019, Ortega was crowned Miss Universe Spain 2019 at the Teatro Kapital in Madrid, Spain. She bested 17 other candidates.

Runner-up to Ortega was Athenea Pérez, 22, of Murcia. The runner-up father is from Murcia while her mother is from Equatorial Guinea.

Model and nuclear medicine technician Claudia Coba, 22, of Barcelona was the second runner-up. She is of Catalan, Cuban and Chinese descent.

The Miss Universe 2019 coronation night was graced by actors Jorge Cremades, Mateo Conde, Arón Piper and Kiko Matamoros, model Marta López Álamo, television host Uriel Sabat, Miss Spain 2005 Veronica Hidalgo, Miss Universe Spain 2017 Sofía del Prado, Miss Earth Venezuela 2017 Ninoska Vázquez and Miss Universe Spain 2013 runner-up Lidia Santos. Crowning Ortega was Miss Universe Spain 2018 Angela Ponce, 27, of Seville, Spain.

Ponce made history as the first ever transgender woman to be crowned Miss Spain and the first ever transgender woman to compete in Miss Universe in the international level. She was unplaced in Miss Universe 2018, which culminated at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on December 17, 2018.

If Ortega wins Miss Universe 2019, she will be the second titleholder of the international beauty pageant from her country. The first Miss Universe from Spain was the late Amparo Muñoz Quesada of Málaga, Spain, an actress who died on February 27, 2011 due to undeclared issues.

On July 21, 1974, Miss Universe 1973 Margarita Moran, 66, of the Philippines crowned Muñoz as Miss Universe 1974 at the Folk Arts Theater  in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Six months later, the Málaga native relinquished the title and the crown as she refused to follow organizational regulations.

Catriona Gray, 25, of the Philippines is the reigning Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Miss Universe from her country and the 67th woman to hold the title.

The last time Spain placed in Miss Universe was in 2017 when del Prado finished in the Top 10. Meanwhile, here is a clip featuring Ponce: