| Miss Venezuela wins Miss
Universe pageant 2008
Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza,
has won the Miss Universe pageant. The 22-year-old stunner beats runners-up
from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Russia and Mexico to clinch the
diamond-studded golden crown.
1st Runner Up: Taliana Vargas
(Columbia)
2nd Runner Up: Marianne Cruz
Gonzalez (Dominican Republic)
3rd Runner Up: Vera Krasova
(Russia)
4th Runner Up: Elisa Najera
(Mexico)
Velezuelan Dayana Mendoza
Crowned Miss Universe 2008: The incredible international spectacle that
is Miss Universe, celebrated its 57th edition in grand fashion Sunday from
Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. The Pageant, which through the years has
become one of the most viewed and most anticipated annual events, was everything
it was expected it would be. Since betting odds were released by Sportsbook.com,
the sculptress Miss Venezuela was the overwhelming (5 - 1) favorite to
win the Miss America 2008 crown.
Miss Universe 2008 kicked
off with each country parading their unique national customs. All 80 women
looked amazing, as they proudly displayed their colorful roots and culture.
One couldn’t help but notice Miss Venezuela, who made sort of an awkward
national custom look absolutely glorious with her astonishing beauty.
15 semi-finalists announced
The field is reduced to 15
semi-finalists, including: Dayana Mendoza (Venezuela), Zana Krasniqi (Kosovo),
Elisa Najera (Mexico), Lam Thuy Nguyen (Vietnam), Tansey Coetzee (South
Africa), Laura Dundovic (Australia), Hiroko Mima (Japan), Marianne Cruz
Gonzalez (Dominican Republic), Claudia Ferraris (Italy), Taliana Vargas
(Columbia), Vera Krasova (Russia), Jazmin Dammak (Hungary), Eliska Buckova
(Czech Republic), Crystle Stewart (USA) and Claudia Moro (Spain).
The 80 contestants gathered
in the seaside city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, vying to succeed reigning Miss
Universe Riyo Mori of Japan.
Top ten contestants announced
The finalists walked across
the stage in bikinis for the swimsuit competition and the excitement was
spectacular when the top 10 contestants were announced.
The top ten finalists are:
Dayana Mendoza (Venezuela), Zana Krasniqi (Kosovo), Elisa Najera (Mexico),
Laura Dundovic (Australia), Marianne Cruz Gonzalez (Dominican Republic),
Claudia Ferraris (Italy), Taliana Vargas (Columbia), Vera Krasova (Russia),
Crystle Stewart (USA) and Claudia Moro (Spain). .
Here were the top-10 countries
in random order, as announced live: Kosovo, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Colombia,
USA, Dominican Republic, Russia, Italy, and Venezuela. All women looked
absolutely stunning, as they headed backstage, and prepared for the Nightgown
competition, and the final round of questions from the judges.
After the Nightgown competition,
was the announcement of the final 5 (once again in random order): Colombia,
Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Russia. Colombia was once again
first in the judge's questions. Each contestant answered the questions
in a very eliquent manner, as each displayed their caresmatic personalities,
and perfect smiles.
Finally the moment of truth,
as each women was discarded by process of elimination, until there was
just 1 standing at the end... Miss Universe 2008. The first contested called,
coming in and 5th place: Mexico. 4th place: Russia. 3rd
place: Dominican Republic. and finally the second place:
Miss Colombia... leaving just one lady standing as the new Miss Universe
2008: Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza.
Miss
Universe 2009
|
Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela
has been crowned Miss Universe 2008.
Australia's entrant, 21-year-old
Laura Dundovic of Sydney, made it through to the top 10, but could not
make the final five.
The pageant started with
80 contestants and was held in the seaside town of Nha Trang, Vietnam today.
The 21-year-old Sydney student
have survived the swimwear round of 15, and have made it through
the evening gown section.
Dundovic, 21, a student from
Sydney, was hoping to emulate Jennifer Hawkins, who won the crown in 2004.
Dundovic, 21, a Sydney psychology
student, had spent the past month touring Vietnam with the other 79 contestants.
"I'd love to win but the
competition is very tough," she said from the resort town of Nha Trang.
She paraded in a red gown
by Melbourne couturier Connie Simonetti, a tiny green bikini and the heavily
criticised tiered organza dress hanging from a boomerang breastplate by
designer Jayson Brunsdon as her "national costume".
Miss USA falls over, again
For the second year in a
row, Miss USA fell down during the evening gown competition at the Miss
Universe competition.
It was a nightmare come true
for Miss USA Crystle Stewart, a Texan, who tripped on the train of her
bejewelled evening gown as she made her entrance.
During the 2007 Miss Universe
contest in Mexico City, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening
gown competition and became an unintended star on You Tube, where the video
was shown over and over again.
Her mishap occurred just
after the judges had narrowed the field of 80 to the final 10: Miss USA,
Miss Kosovo, Miss Australia, Miss Spain, Miss Mexico, Miss Colombia, Miss
USA, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Russia, Miss Italy and Miss Venezuela.
The NBC show is being hosted
by talk show star Jerry Springer and Spice Girl Melanie Brown and broadcast
live to hundreds of millions of viewers in 170 countries.
It will be broadcast on the
Seven Network tonight.
Eighty contestants gathered
in the seaside city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, vying to succeed reigning Miss
Universe Riyo Mori of Japan.
Miss Venezuela wins Miss
Universe 2008
What are your interests
and what do you enjoy doing the most?
Interior design, photography,
advertising, and I enjoy meeting people from every country and learning
languages.
What is your career ambition?
Interior Design and also
advertising but as Oscar Wilde used to say, "To define oneself is to limit
oneself".
What is your proudest personal
accomplishment?
Being independent from the
age of fifteen on, living in different countries by myself without knowing
the language at the beginning and without the presence of my parents. Having
succeeded in working in different cultures and learning the most from them.
What is something unique
that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I was once kidnapped, in
what in my country is known as an express kidnapping. It was a very hard
experience. I learned to remain calm in a very stressful situation and
to try to reach to the human part of our abductors.
What do you want the judges
to know about you?
I am grateful to life for
my family and for the opportunities to grow in different places and learn
the most from them. Even in the hardest of times what my family and life
has taught me has helped me push through and succeed. |
1st Runner Up: Taliana Vargas (Columbia)
second place
Miss Colombia
What are your interests
and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I am passionate about traveling,
extreme sports, all forms of art and culture, and spending time with my
family and friends.
What is your career ambition?
I hope to pursue a career
in Communications for the advancement of Economic and Social development,
with an emphasis on marginalized populations around the world. I believe
effective communications can help build more sustainable communities by
linking remote areas through better technology and innovation. By studying
towards a PhD in Communications for development, I hope I can help improve
the lives of people worldwide.
What is your proudest personal
accomplishment?
I am especially proud to
have served as a young ambassador of Latin culture in the U.S. As well,
I performed in a college dance troupe and taught Latin rhythms and folkloric
dance styles. I believe music and dance are effective ways to bring people
from different cultures together and display the vibrancy and joy of my
native land.
What is something unique
that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
I have the great fortune
to live in an incredibly diverse and multi-lingual household in Alexandria,
Virginia with my five brothers and sisters (three born and raised in Colombia
and two born in the U.S.), my treasured mother (also Colombian), and my
loving stepfather from Italy. Adding to the diversity, my stepfather’s
parents are from Greece. It is common to hear English, Spanish, Italian,
and Greek spoken in the same conversation in my home.
What do you want the judges
to know about you?
I would like the judges
to see in me, the same positive attributes of kindness, happiness, and
warmth that are so characteristic of the embracing and loving people of
Colombia. If afforded the opportunity to serve as Miss Universe I pledge
to bring to my new role the same passion I strive to display everyday as
Miss Colombia. |
2nd Runner Up: Marianne
Cruz Gonzalez (Dominican Republic)
Third place
Miss Dominican Republic
What are your interests
and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My interests vary from the
professional to sharing with my family and friends every spare time I get.
As any good “dominicana” does, I enjoy going to the beach, to the mountains
and dancing our world famous meringue. I do modeling as a part-time job
to supplement my income. However, I have a high regard for my volunteer
work, which is a practice I have done since I was 15 years old and it is
the endeavor that fulfills me the most.
What is your career ambition?
Like my compatriot, Oscar
De La Renta, I would like to become a world class fashion designer.
What is your proudest personal
accomplishment?
To have managed a diverse
and multi functional career while also pursuing my education. During the
last four years I have been a college student, I have worked as one of
the most solicited models of my country, as well as held many different
jobs to help support my family.
What is something unique
that has happened to you; some interesting thing about you?
At age 17, I took a seven
day mountain trip to Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Caribbean Islands
estimated at 3,087 meters (10,094 ft.) above sea level. The journey was
a strenuous experience. It required not only physical stamina but emotional
fortitude as well. Once I arrived at the top I found the contact with nature
and the presence of God was sublime. I can sincerely say, you don’t climb
Pico Duarte with the power of your body. You reach it with the strength
of your mind and your heart.
What do you want the judges
to know about you?
I wish for the judges to
see “mis ganas” which can only be translated as “my willingness”. Participating
in this pageant is a dream come true ever since childhood and for which
I have trained in mind, body and spirit which is a metaphor for the way
I approach life. I would like the judges to know that I am a contestant
of this century because I am a woman of this century. A woman who is concerned
with the problems of our society and focused on achieving her goals. |
Miss
Universe 2009 |
Home
The 2008 Miss Universe contest
has begun, with 80 of the world's most beautiful women competing to win
one of the pageant world's most coveted crowns.
The field was reduced to
15 semi-finalists at the beginning of the show, including Venezuela, Kosovo,
Mexico, Vietnam, South Africa, Australia, Japan, the Dominican Republic,
Italy, Colombia, Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the United States
and Spain.
The NBC show is being hosted
by TV host Jerry Springer and Spice Girl Melanie Brown and broadcast live
to hundreds of millions of viewers in 170 countries.
The 80 contestants gathered
in the seaside city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, vying to succeed reigning Miss
Universe Riyo Mori of Japan.
They are competing in front
of a panel of judges that includes international fashion experts and Donald
Trump Jr., whose father, the real estate magnate and TV star, co-owns the
pageant with NBC.
This year's contestants
span a wide range of experiences and aspirations.
Miss Albania was a professional
basketball player. Miss Argentina says she has paranormal experiences.
Miss Antigua & Barbuda is fascinated by snakes.
Miss Venezuela has been
kidnapped and Miss Angola was in a plane crash while trying to escape a
conflict during her country's civil war.
The shortest contestant
in this year's show is Miss El Salvador, a petite 5-foot-3. The tallest
are Miss Jamaica, Miss Mexico and Miss Peru, who measure 6 feet.
All the contestants will
be hoping to avoid the calamity that befell Miss USA during last year's
contest, when she fell down during the evening gown segment and became
an unintended star on YouTube, where the video was played over and over
again.
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