Miss Poland Karolina Bielawska (C) waves after winning the 70th Miss World beauty pageant at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 16, 2022. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP)

Eyes were on Poland as it scored its second Miss World victory while hearts also went out to its beleaguered neighbor Ukraine during the conclusion of the much-delayed international competition.

Polish master’s student Karolina Bielawska captured the title at the culmination of the ceremonies staged at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in Puerto Rico on March 16 (March 17 in Manila). The new queen’s home country was the first to open its borders to fleeing Ukrainians seeking refuge.

The pageant devoted several minutes from its three-hour program to the Ukrainian people, who are facing violent attacks by the Russian military on their country.

Outgoing titleholder Toni- Ann Singh led a candle lighting segment as she sang “The Prayer.”

Journalist Oleksandra Kucherenko, Ukraine’s 2016 Miss World representative, also delivered a message in a video: “Today, I woke up at 5 [a.m.] to the sound of [a] bomb explosion nearby.”

“I pray to stop this war. I pray that children won’t die under fire anymore, that women won’t hide in shelters and men won’t suffer on the front,” Kucherenko continued.

The 70th Miss World pageant had a crisis of its own when dozens of its delegates and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 as it was about to stage its coronation program in December last year.

Miss World Organization (MWO) president Julia Morley initially planned to conduct a hybrid show, allowing some candidates to participate remotely while in isolation. But on the morning of coronation day, MWO announced that the contest had been postponed and rescheduled within 90 days.

From a roster of 97 delegates, only 40 were asked to return to Puerto Rico for the resumption of the competition. Bielawska did not win in any preliminary competition but impressed the judges in the final round of questioning.

When asked what for her is the most important discovery yet to be discovered, the Polish beauty said, “What I discovered is that it cost us so little to enrich the [lives] of others, and this is the cost that we can all afford and, believe me, it’s worth the price.”

“If you like to discover something new, just try to learn to be rich more in empathy, in compassion, in gratitude,” she added.

United States’ Shree Saini settled for first runner-up, followed by second runner-up Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire. The Philippines’ Tracy Maureen Perez finished in the Top 13.

Only 40 delegates return to Miss World; PH’s Tracy Maureen Perez advances