Sunday, July 13, 2008

Miss Venezuela Is Miss Universe 2008

Miss Venezuela is Miss Universe 2008
by Fernelle C. Rodriguez

Twenty-two-year-old Dayana Mendoza was crowned this year's Miss Universe.

The 5'10" Venezuelan bested 79 other contestants from around the globe for the prestigious crown.

Miss Colombia Taliana Vargas, a heavy favorite of beauty pageant Web sites, placed first runner-up. The 20-year-old ranked high in the evening gown competition.


Miss USA Crystle Stewart, whom beauty pageant experts thought would land in the Top 5, finished in the Top 10 after falling down in the evening gown competition. Last year's Miss USA, Rachel Smith, also slipped and fell down on stage in the Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico. Smith went on to compete in the final five but ended a runner-up.

Miss Mexico Elisa Najera, Miss Dominican Republic Marianne Cruz Gonzalez and Vera Krasova, Miss Russia ended runners-up.

The other contestants who made it to the Top 10 included Zana Krasniqi, Kosovo;
Laura Dundovic, Australia; Crystle Stewart, USA; Claudia Ferraris, Italy, and Claudia Moro, Spain.

Rounding the Top 15 were Lam Thuy Nguyen, Vietnam; Tansey Coetzee, South Africa; Hiroko Mima, Japan; Jazmin Dammak, Hungary, and Eliska Buckova, Czech Republic.

Miss Thailand Gavintra Photijak won Best in National Costume while Rebeca Moreno of
El Salvador was named Miss Congeniality UNIVERSE™.

The judges were famous designer Roberto Cavalli, Trump Organization's Executive Vice President Donald Trump, Jr., actress Nadine Velazquez, hair stylist Louis Licari, Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins, footwear designer Taryn Rose, newspaper editor Nguyen Cong Khe, hospitality industry tycoon Joseph Cinque and actress Eesha Koppikhar.


This year's Miss Universe pageant was held in Nha Trang, Vietnam and hosted by Jerry Springer and Spice Girl Melanie Brown.

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