According to this year's format, the Top 15 finalists will be decided based on a total score of 70% from the judges and 30% from audience votes. The competition also awarded 3 special slots including World's Choice, Best Runway and Portrait Challenge Winner to complete the Top 18. This means that the door to the final is still wide open for Huong Giang if she maintains her media attraction and fandom advantage in the final stage.
In the second semi-final held on the evening of May 28 in Bangkok (Thailand), Huong Giang attracted strong attention with her energetic bikini competition. The beauty chose a leopard print bikini design, showing off her toned body and fiery performance style. Not following a safe direction, the Vietnamese representative continuously changed the catwalk rhythm, combining sharp expressions and good camera interaction to maintain spotlight on stage.
An average score of 8.93/10 is considered a fairly positive result for Huong Giang in a highly competitive season. Notably, she received a perfect score of 10/10 from Abena Appiah - former Miss Grand International 2020. Judge Osmel Sousa also scored her 9.9 points, showing that the performance of the Vietnamese representative was highly appreciated in both stage skills and demeanor.
In particular, Omar Harfouch - the controversial judge for continuously scoring many contestants low in the previous night - also gave Huong Giang 8 points. This is considered a fairly positive signal because before that he had shocked with many scores of 2, 3 or 4 for other representatives.
Not only making an impression in the swimsuit competition, Huong Giang also showed stability throughout the journey. In the first semi-final, she achieved 9.16 points for the evening gown competition, belonging to the group of contestants with the highest scores. The fishtail dress studded with crystals and the "butterfly wings" effect helped the Vietnamese representative create a prominent moment on stage.
In addition to performance skills, Huong Giang's big advantage lies in her experience and communication skills. After many years of working in showbiz, she understands how to make an impression in front of the camera and maintain the level of discussion on social networks. This is especially important in the context that this year's format is 30% dependent on audience voting.
However, Huong Giang's journey still has many challenges. Temporarily standing outside the Top 15 points of the judges shows that this year's race is very fierce. Some outstanding opponents possess advantages in physique, height and more distinct international performance style. Besides, Huong Giang's previously bare face performance did not receive really explosive scores, causing the total average score to be significantly affected.
However, with a contest that emphasizes entertainment and stage attraction like Miss Grand International, Huong Giang is still a face with the ability to create a "twist" at the last minute. She possesses a strong fandom, high media recognition and increasingly stable competition style through each round.
More importantly, Huong Giang is showing a spirit of decisive entry instead of competing in a safe way. From the choice of costumes, stage expressions to performance tactics, the Vietnamese representative is aiming to create a unique mark among the large number of contestants.
Before the final on May 30th, it can be said that Huong Giang's opportunities are still wide open. Although not in the absolute leading group, she is still one of the most attractive Asian representatives this season.
