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Miss Japan crowned Miss
Universe 2007
MEXICO CITY - Riyo Mori,
a 20-year-old dancer from Japan who hopes to someday open an international
dance school, was crowned Miss Universe 2007 Monday night.
Miss USA Rachel Smith,
who slipped and fell to the floor during the evening gown competition,
was the contest’s fourth runner-up.
Mori nervously grabbed
the hands of first runner-up, Natalia Guimaraes of Brazil, just before
the winner was announced and then showed her delight as the diamond-and
pearl-studded crown was placed on her head.
Mori nervously grabbed
the hands of first runner-up, Natalia Guimaraes of Brazil, just before
the winner was announced. Then she trembled in awe as the diamond-and pearl-studded
crown was placed on her head.
Mori, from the small town
of Shizuoka at the base of Mount Fuji, won the cheers of the Mexico City
audience when she opened her interview, saying 'Hola, Mexico!'
"I learned how to always
be happy, be patient and to be positive, and this is what I want to teach
to the next generation," she said during the interview competition.
The daughter of a dance
school operator, Mori said her grandmother told her as a child that she
wanted her to be Miss Japan before she turned 20.
"From the very beginning,
I entered the competition with high hopes and an unswerving determination
to make this dream a reality," she said in a pre-competition interview.
Also finishing in the
top five were second runner-up Ly Jonaitis of Venezuela and third runner-up
Honey Lee of Korea.
The winner travels the
world for a year on behalf of charities and pageant sponsors. Zuleyka Rivera
Mendoza of Puerto Rico crowned her successor at the end of the two-hour
telecast with the headpiece valued at $250,000
"To the next Miss Universe,
take advantage of this great opportunity," Rivera said during her parting
remarks.
The 15 finalists from
a field of 77 contestants were announced early in Monday's show. They were
picked last week during preliminary judging in the contest's swimsuit,
evening gown and interview |
1st.
- Miss Universe 2007 JAPAN
Riyo
Mori
Age:
20 - Height: 1.74 m
Statistics
for Japan 1952-2006:
Winners:
1
Finalists:
16
Best
Placement: WINNER (Akiko Kojima, 1957)
Last
time it placed: 2006
What are your interests and what do you
enjoy doing the most?
Definitely dancing! I have been dancing
since I was 4 years old. I still have my first pair of ballet shoes that
I keep as a memory of my many years and passion for dancing. I am a very
curious person and I love traveling the world, especially seeing musicals
and visiting museums. Discovering different cultures and encountering new
people are a constant source of inspiration for me and something I try
to apply to my own dancing and teaching back in Japan.
What is your career ambition?
To open my own dance school in Tokyo!
My mother runs a successful dance school outside of Tokyo and we plan to
expand my family's love for the performing arts by opening an international
dance school in Tokyo, the capital of Japan and a crossroads for many cultures.
My plan is to hire teachers who speak a number of languages so that I can
host students from around the world. Opening my own school will allow me
to live and teach my passion for dancing while being an independent businesswoman.
Describe where you were raised and what
your childhood was like.
I was born and raised with my younger
brother in a small town called Shizuoka at the base of Mt. Fuji. Shizuoka
enjoys a very mild climate and is also near the sea. As nuclear families
have become the norm in Japanese society, I feel very fortunate to have
been raised by both my parents and grandparents under the same roof. I
grew up in a very supportive and loving family, always surrounded by many
energetic people since part of my house served as my mother's dance school.
Interestingly enough, my mother entered a local beauty pageant when she
was in her twenties and, although I didn't pay much attention to it at
the time, my maternal grandmother told me when I was a child that she wanted
me to become Miss Japan before I turn 20.
What do you want the judges to know about
you?
What you see is what you get. Nothing
is rehearsed about me. From the very beginning, I entered this competition
with high-hopes and an unswerving determination to make this dream a reality.
2nd. Miss
Universe 2007 BRAZIL
Natalia
Guimaraes
What are your interests
and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I like to travel because
I have the opportunity to learn about new cultures, have new experiences
and make new friends.
What is your career ambition?
To be a good professional
in architecture, but before that my first goal is to become Miss Universe
2007. That's why I'm doing my best and working on it.
Describe where you were
raised and what your childhood was like.
I am an only child, but
I grew up very close to my cousins. They were like my brothers and sisters.
I lived in the city of Belo Horizonte, one of the biggest cities in Brazil.
I spent a normal childhood just like any child of my age.
What do you want the judges
to know about you?
I am a very determined
person and I am concerned about what is going on in the world today. I
try to do my part so we can leave a better world for the next generation.
Miss Universe 2007
March 29, 2007 - NBC
and Paula M. Shugart, President, Miss Universe Organization, announced
today that the 56th Annual Miss Universe® Competition will air live
from Mexico City, Mexico. The glamorous live event, featuring some of the
world's most beautiful women, will air from the National Auditorium (Auditorio
Nacional), on NBC and Telemundo on Monday, May 28, 2007 from 9 - 11 p.m.
ET.
"Mexico last hosted the competition
in 1993 and we are excited to be back for the 2007 show," said Paula M.
Shugart. "Mexico offers an abundant supply of breathtaking locations and
the warmth of the Mexican people will resonate throughout the world as
we showcase the country."
Puerto Rican native, Zuleyka
Rivera, Miss Universe® 2006 will crown her successor at the conclusion
of the telecast. During her reign, she has traveled the world as an advocate
for HIV/AIDS education, research, and legislation. The newly crowned Miss
Universe will go on to do the same.
Each contestant from more
than 80 countries around the world will be judged in three categories:
swimsuit, evening gown and interview as they vie for the coveted title
of Miss Universe® 2007. In recent years, worldwide distribution of
the popular competition has topped more than 170 countries.
Donald J. Trump, Executive
Producer and the Gurin Company will again produce Miss Universe® 2007
with veteran television Writer and Executive Producer Phil Gurin at the
helm.
The Miss Universe Organization,
producers of the MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA®
competitions, is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal partnership. Utilizing
its global grass roots infrastructure, the Miss Universe Organization is
committed to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health
and reproductive issues. By forging relationships with organizations committed
to research and education such as: the Latino Commission on AIDS, Global
Health Council and Godís Love We Deliver, Miss Universe is armed
to impact women today. - Miss Universe News
Miss
Universe 2009
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