Five candidates of the 2009 Miss World beauty pageant have advanced to the semifinals, after they won in four fast-track events in Johannesburg, South Africa, organizers said.

The five candidates who will be included in the Top 20 are Miss Japan, Eruza Zazaki, who won Miss World Sportsman; Miss Canada Lena Ma, and Miss Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kargbo, tied, Miss World Talent; Miss Gibraltar Kaiane Aldorino, Miss World Beach Beauty; and Miss Mexico Perla Beltran, Miss World Top Model.

The other semifinalists will be announced during the grand finals which will be held at the Gallagher Convention Center on Saturday, December 12.

Normally, only four contestants advance in the semis. But for the first time, this year, two candidates — Misses Canada and Sierra Leone — tied in one of the fast-track events. This resulted in five candidates advancing to the semifinals.

Also, Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colon, and Beltran, of Mexico appeared to be the early favorites to win the 2009 Miss World crown, based on betting houses.

Observers said that the two candidates continue to switch ranks either No. 1 or No. 2 on a daily basis based on bettors’ lists. The lists, however, are not the basis for judging the winners.

Other early favorites were delegates from France, South Africa, Barbados, Belgium, Jamaica, Panama, Gibraltar, Austria, Norway, Croatia, Philippines, Canada, and Scotland.

This year’s Philippine representative is 2009 Bb. Pilipinas-World Marie Ann Umali, 22. She will compete with 111 other candidates in the world’s oldest surviving beauty contest.

Since the pageant started in 1951, the Philippines has yet to win the coveted crown. The highest rank the Philippines received in the pageant was first runner-up won by Evangeline Pascual in 1973. Controversy surrounded the contest when Marjorie Wallace of USA was stripped of the title. But the crown was never offered to Pascual, reports said.

Over the years, Philippine candidates figured prominently in the beauty contest, winning as runner-up or semifinalist.

Sharmaine Ruffa Gutierrez won second runner-up in the 1993 edition of the pageant. She was also named Asia and Oceania’s Queen of Beauty. The following year, Caroline Subijano made it as one of Top 10 semifinalists.

In 2002, Katherine Anne Manalo was one of Top 10 finalists. Other placements were Maria Rafaela Yunon (2003), Top 5 finalist; Maria Karla Bautista (2004), Top 5 finalist, Asia and Oceania’s Queen of Beauty, and Carlene Aguilar (2005), Top 15 semi-finalist.