Puerto Rico wins 1st spot in top 40 of Miss World 2026 in Vietnam

After activities in Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City, both located in northern Vietnam, all 111 Miss World 2026 contestants moved to Khanh Hoa, where they are continuing to compete in the pageant's preliminary challenges.

The Sport Challenge began with a 1,500-meter race. Organizers selected the 24 contestants with the fastest times to advance to the next stage.

Pagán, along with representatives from Northern Ireland and Australia, stood out in the running event.

The competition then moved to swimming. Contestants who had the ability and wanted to participate registered for the event and were divided into several heats.

The winner of each heat advanced, eventually forming a group of five contestants with the strongest performances.

Contestants from Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Spain led the swimming segment.

In the final results, Puerto Rico, Australia, and Northern Ireland made the top three, with Pagán emerging as the overall winner.

Her victory earned her automatic entry into the top 40, making her the first contestant to secure a spot.

Vietnam's Bao Ngoc wins inaugural cooking challenge

Earlier, Vietnam’s representative Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc and her team won the Head Chef Beauty challenge, a cooking contest introduced for the first time in Miss World history.

The 111 contestants were divided into 10 teams and tasked with preparing healthy dishes from provided ingredients.

Most teams selected ingredients such as salmon, brown rice, vegetables, and fruit for their menus.

Bao Ngoc’s team created a tropical fruit and salmon salad with brown rice, shrimp crackers, and fresh juice, winning after two rounds.

From August 20 to September 6, all 111 contestants will participate in activities in Nha Trang, a famed beach destination in Khanh Hoa, including Head-to-Head debates, Talent Show, closed-door interviews, Dances of the World, and the grand finale.

On August 31, organizers will host a Vietnamese flag-raising ceremony, a tribute program honoring Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, and a charity gala.

The events are intended to introduce international contestants and audiences to Vietnam's history, national spirit and cultural values.

The 73rd Miss World final is scheduled for September 5 in Nha Trang, with reigning Miss World Opal Suchata of Thailand expected to crown her successor.

The pageant, first held in 1951, celebrates its 75th anniversary and 73rd edition this year.