Who is favourite to wear the crown at Miss World 2014?

The 64th edition of the Miss World pageant will be held at London’s ExCel Arena on December 14th. 124 contestants have travelled to the UK from all over the world, but who is the favourite to wear the crown?

Miss World 2014: Main Contenders

Entrant

Name

Age

Height (cm)

Occupation

Odds

Implied Probability (%)

Miss South Africa

Rolene Strauss

22

177

Medical Student

3.280*

30.49

Miss India

Koyal Rana

21

173

NGO Director

12.990*

7.7

Miss Russia

Anastasia Kostenko

20

175

Student

12.990*

7.7

Miss Australia

Courtney Thorpe

24

170

Student & Fashion Stylist

12.990*

7.7

Miss France

Flora Coquerel

20

182

Economics Student

14.130*

7.08

Miss USA

Elizabeth Safrit

22

174

Lobbyist

14.130*

7.08

Miss Hungary

Edina Kulcsár

23

173

Model

15.000*

6.29

Miss Netherlands

Tatjana Maul

26

180

Health Blogger

15.000*

6.29

Miss Curacao

Gayle Sulvaran

19

171

Student

19.680*

5.08

Format of the competition

The preliminary challenge events of the competition are well underway. Miss World Sports & Fitness 2014 took place on November 25th and included five sports events – long jumps, 60m sprints, the dreaded bleep test, a tug of war and 4 x 200m relays. Rolene Strauss of South Africa won the bleep test with Hungary’s Edina Kulcsár taking the long jump.

There were standout performances by Miss South Africa, Miss Russia and Miss Australia in the Top Model competition, making them all front-runners for the crown. Miss India finished in the top five of “Beauty With a Purpose” as well as “The People’s Choice” and also won a special award for the “World Fashion Designer Dress,” so has also become a popular option at 12.990*.

All that remains before the Grand Final are the River Thames Party Cruise on December 6th and the Talent Challenge Event on December 7th. Contestants usually favour a performance that reflects their country’s heritage, so a variety of musical instruments, dances and singing can be expected.

Betting on the winner of Miss World 2014

As for the Grand Final on December 14th, Miss South Africa is the clear favourite at Pinnacle Sports with odds of 3.280* currently being offered – an implied probability of 30.49%. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee Rolene Strauss the crown, bettors should be aware that Miss Brazil was the 3.490 favourite last year before Miss Philippines won at 6.510, and in 2009 3.860 favourite Miss Mexico only finished as the 1st Runner-up behind Miss Gibraltar.

However, in 2011, Miss Venezuela was the 8.430 favourite and ended up victorious, becoming the 6th winner from her nation. So why is Miss South Africa so heavily tipped to win in 2014?

Getting under the skin of the Miss World Pageant

The Miss World competition is about more than just beauty, it is a brand that has fought criticism of sexism and is furious in fighting to endure, evolving its format to appear more relevant to the 21st century. There is a strong feeling that political motivations or populace agendas hold more sway with the judges than the outcomes of the competition components.

Maintaining its relevance and positive image extend to the selection process, so bettors should consider which contestant offers the best PR message alongside the most aesthetically pleasing appearance.

In 2010, the hotly-tipped favourite Miss Norway didn’t even make the top 5, with Miss USA being crowned the winner. Many believe this decision was made because the judges succumbed to the pressure from Beijing who were furious after the Oslo-based Nobel Peace committee awarded the coveted prize to imprisoned Chinese protestor Liu Xiaobo.

With this in mind bettors should reflect on the fact that 2014 represents the 20-year anniversary of the end of Apartheid in South Africa. Pure coincidence, or a good PR message for the Miss World brand? That is up to bettors to decide.

Go to our 2014 Miss World winner odds.