Olga Mariana Lombardo, 23, has been officially sashed as the Miss World 2026 candidate of Belgium. The sashing ceremony was held at the Dream Dragon Resort in Đồ Sơn, Haiphong, Vietnam on August 13, 2026.
Lombardo and her fellow candidates were welcomed by Dream Dragon Resort Hotel general manager Nguyen Minh Duc Loc and GELEXIMCO deputy general director Nguyen Thi Thu Trang. Miss World chairwoman Julia Morley also graced the event with Mister World 2024 Daniel Mejia.
Khanh Nhu and In Ha Long hosted the ceremony. Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska helped present the sashes to the candidates.
Miss World 2026
Haiphong is around 1,322 kilometers away from Nha Trang, a coastal city on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. On September 5, 2026, the Miss World 2026 coronation ceremony will he held in Nha Trang.
Including Belgium, 111 countries and territories will be represented. Among Lombardo’s fellow candidates are Noura Njikam, 26, of Cameroon, María de los Ángeles Ndong, 25, of Equatorial Guinea, Lucrezia Mangilli, 26, of Italy and Bảo Ngọc Lê Nguyễn, 25, of Vietnam.
From Leuven to Haiphong
Hailing from Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium, Lombardo is a model of Gabonese and Italian descent. She is currently in her final year as a master’s student in pharmaceutical sciences in the same university at the Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (KU Leuven) in Leuven.
Separated by continents and culture, Haiphong and Leuven exemplify two distinct models of global influence—one built on maritime commerce, the other on intellectual tradition.
Positioned on the Gulf of Tonkin at the eastern edge of the Red River Delta, Haiphong is Vietnam’s major northern port city. Known as the Flamboyant City for its vibrant royal poinciana trees, it serves as a critical economic engine, fed by the distributaries of the Thái Bình River system. Beyond its industrial pulse and French colonial architecture, Haiphong acts as the primary maritime gateway to the breathtaking limestone karsts of Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island.
In contrast, Leuven sits inland in the heart of Flanders as a historic beacon of higher education and innovation. The city seamlessly merges medieval charm with cutting-edge discovery. Cobblestone streets, a 15th-century Gothic Town Hall, and a lively café culture give Leuven its youthful, dynamic spirit.
While Haiphong connects global trade routes along the Asian coastline, Leuven links international minds through academic excellence. Together, these two vibrant cities highlight the diverse ways human ambition shapes the world: one driving economic growth through strategic sea access, the other cultivating knowledge across centuries.
Leave a Reply