MISS UNIVERSE 2002

Miss Universe 2002
Date: 29 May 2002
Presenters: Phil Simms, Daisy Fuentes and Brook Lee
Entertainment: Marc Anthony
Venue: Roberto Clemente Coliseo
Broadcaster: CBS
Entrants: 75
Placements: 10
Debuts: Albania, China
Winner: Oxana Fedorova
Represented: Russia
Congeniality: Merlisa Rhonda George
U. S. Virgin Islands
Photogenic: Isis Marie Casalduc
Puerto Rico

Countries and territories which sent delegates and results.The Miss Universe 2002 pageant was held in Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 29, 2002. There were 75 delegates from around the world who competed for the title Miss Universe 2002.　Oxana Fedorova from Russia was crowned Miss Universe 2002 by Miss Universe 2001, Denise Quiñones of Puerto Rico.　On September 23, 2002, Fedorova was dethroned and replaced by her first runner-up Justine Pasek of Panama.

Results Placements
The Miss Universe title was won by Oxana Fedorova of Russia (later dethroned)
The runners-up were:
1st runner-up - Justine Pasek (Panama)
2nd runner-up - Zhuo Ling (China)
3rd runner-up - Vanessa Carreira (South Africa)
4th runner-up - Cynthia Lander Zamora (Venezuela)
The Top 10 (in order of final placement): Natascha Börger (Germany), Demetra Eleftheriou (Cyprus), Anisa Kospiri (Albania), Neha Dhupia (India), Neelam Verma (Canada)
Special awards
Photogenic: Isis Marie Casalduc (Puerto Rico)
Congeniality: Merlisa Rhonda George (US Virgin Islands)
National Costume: Vanessa Mendoza (Colombia)
Best in Swimsuit: Oxana Fedorova (Russia)

Final competition scores
Country Swimsuit Evening Gown
Russia 9.88 9.64
Panama 8.79 8.92
China 8.88 9.15
South Africa 8.90 8.79
Venezuela 9.29 8.83
Germany 8.81 8.84
Cyprus 9.15 8.49
Albania 8.34 8.51
India 8.32 8.10
Canada 7.99 8.39

Contestants
Albania - Anisa Kospiri
Angola - Giovana Pinto Leite
Antigua and Barbuda - Aisha Ralph
Aruba - Deyanira Ludwina Frank
Australia - Sarah Davies
Bahamas - Nadia Albury
Belgium - Ann van Elsen
Bolivia - Paola Clarisse Coimbra Antipieff
Brazil - Josiane Oliveira
British Virgin Islands - Anastasia Tonge
Bulgaria - Elina Georgirva
Canada - Neelam Verma
Cayman Islands - Shannon McLean
Chile - Nicole Rencoret Ladrón de Guevara
China - Zhuo Ling
Colombia - Vanessa Mendoza
Costa Rica - Merilyn Villalta
Croatia - Ivana Paris
Curacao - Ayanette Mary-Ann Statia
Cyprus - Demetra Eleuftheriou
Czech Republic - Diana Kobzanova
Dominican Republic - Ruth Ocumarez
Ecuador - Isabel Ontaneda-Pinto
Egypt - Sally Shaheen
El Salvador - Elisa Sandoval Rodriguez
Estonia - Jana Tafenau
Finland - Janette Broman
France - Sylvie Tellier
Germany - Natascha Borger
Ghana - Stephanie Walkins-Fia
Greece - Lena Paparrigopoulou
Guatemala - Carina Velasquez
Guyana - Mia Rahaman
Honduras - Erika Ramirez
Hungary - Edit Friedl
India - Neha Dhupia
Ireland - Lisa O'Sullivan
Israel - Yamit Har-Noy
Italy - Anna Rigon
Jamaica - Sanya Hughes
Japan - Mina Chiba
Kenya - Julie Njeru
Korea - Min-Kyoung Kim
Malaysia - Karen Lit Eit Ang
Mauritius - Karen Alexandre
Mexico - Ericka Cruz Escalante
Namibia - Michelle Heitha
Netherlands - Kim Kotter
Nicaragua - Marianela Larayu Mendoza
Nigeria - Chinenye Ochuba
Northern Mariana Islands - Virginia Gridley
Norway - Hege Hatlo
Panama - Justine Lissette Pasek
Peru - Adriana Zubiate
Philippines - Karen Loren Agustín
Poland - Joanna Dozdrowska
Portugal - Iva Catarina Lamarao
Puerto Rico - Isis Casalduc Gonzales
Russia - Oxana Fedorova
Singapore - Nuraliza Osman
Slovakia - Eva Dzodlova
Slovenia - Iris Mulej
South Africa - Vanessa Carreira
Spain - Vania Millan
Sweden - Malou Hansson
Switzerland - Jennifer Ann Gerber
Thailand - Janjira Janchome
Trinidad and Tobago - Nasma Mohammed
Turkey - Cagla Kubat
Ukraine - Liliana Gorova
Uruguay - Fiorella Fleitas
USA - Shauntay Hinton
U.S. Virgin Islands - Merlisa Rhonda George
Venezuela - Cynthia Lander Zamora
FR Yugoslavia - Sladjana Bozovic

The Parade of Nations was conducted outdoors in the streets of Old San Juan for the first time and the delegates all wore their national costumes. This format of the parade would continue until 2005, although from 2003-2005, the delegates did not wear their national costumes during the parade.
Albania and the People's Republic of China debuted at this year's edition, and both also made it to the semi-finals for the first time.
Cyprus was called out to the semi-finals for the first time.
Russia, Venezuela, and India were also called out to the semi-finals in 2001.
Germany was last called out to the semi-finals in 1989, Panama in 1997, and both South Africa and Canada in 2000.
Vania Millan Miras of Spain winner of Miss Spain 2002 title, but was a replacement of Lorena Van Heerde Ayala winner of Miss Spain 2001.
Seven delegates who withdrew from the Miss Universe 2002 pageant. They were: Karen Russell (Belize), Angelina Patricia Pingkan Sondakh (Indonesia), Christina Sawaya (Lebanon), Loredana Zammit (Malta), María Gabriela Riquelme Escuna (Paraguay), Bernice Gumbs (St. Maarten) and Euwonka Selver (Turks and Caicos). Sawaya of Lebanon would go on and claim the Miss International crown in the latter part of the year.
Sarah Davies of Australia went on to compete in Miss World 2004 in Sanya, China. She finished as 5th runner up in Miss World 2004.
Christina Sawaya from (Lebanon) withdrew because she did not want to compete in the same pageant with Miss Israel
This was the year that there was a high number of black representatives. A number of nations sent a black woman for the first time in their country's history. These countries were: Colombia (big favorite for the crown), Dominican Republic (another big favorite of the local media), Mexico, and Sweden. The USA was also represented by a black woman that year. Ironically, none of the black representatives made the 10 that year, resulting in the creation of the term the 2002 Blackout.
Many of the favorites that year failed to make the cut. They were Puerto Rico (the local rep), Colombia (favorite to win the crown), Dominican Republic (favorite of the Puerto Rican media), Ghana (barely missed the Top 10 and placed 12th overall in the preliminaries), Jamaica, Netherlands (barely missed the Top 10 and placed 11th overall in the preliminaries), and Nigeria (Top 10 Finalist in Miss World later that year).
This was the third time in the history of Miss Universe, that the USA failed to make the semis.
Natascha Borger of Germany would go on and win Top Model of the World 2002 in Germany. Also, she would go on and win Miss Baltic Sea 2003 in Finland.

NEWS:Russia's dethroned Miss Universe committed to a career in the police, was quoted as saying Wednesday she had performed her duties diligently but had been misled over the scale of the title holder's job.
Oxana Fedorova, replaced by Miss Panama in a New York ceremony, told the tabloid daily Komsomolskaya Pravda that she had been astonished at U.S. press reports that she had been lazy, capricious and unworthy of the title.
"There is not a grain of truth in this ... I gave up the title voluntarily. Such are my personal circumstances," Fedorova told the daily in a front-page article entitled "Patriot or Flighty Woman?"
"Before I won, no one told me anything about the conditions of the contract. I never thought there would be so many commitments. And I never had any intention of abandoning my university work. So I told the organizers that I had to go home and of course they couldn't wait months for me to come back."
Fedorova, 24, is to defend a thesis on private security companies at St. Petersburg's Interior Ministry Police University later this year. The daily also quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying she had recently been named a police captain.
She told Komsomolskaya Pravda that as Miss Universe she had demonstrated her commitment in helping AIDS ( news - web sites) victims.
"I worked hard and honestly. My conscience is clear. And I even have a small victory for my efforts," she said.
"After an event in Kenya in support of AIDS victims, the local government allocated $250,000 to tackle the problem. Before, it had closed its eyes to it."
She also said she had to care for her ailing grandfather. Her friends and relatives, she said, had backed her decision.
Fedorova's removal was the first in the history of the pageant. Organizers said she had failed to carry out her responsibilities, while press reports suggested she had gained weight, married or become pregnant.
She said future competitors would have to decide whether they wanted to work as models.
"I did when I was 17. Now I work in the Interior Ministry and I'm proud of it," she told the daily.
A school friend told Komsomolskaya Pravda the ousted beauty queen had a dark-haired boyfriend who was a "big businessman."
Fyodorov was coy about suggestions he was wealthy.
"Is that so?" she said. "I can't say, I really can't say."

By noon yesterday, newly crowned Miss Universe ( news - web sites) Justine Pasek had already put in a full day of heavy lifting. Donald Trump had just slapped a skull-crushing, $250,000 diamond-and-pearl tiara on the Panamanian beauty's highlighted head - having wrestled the monster from the Russian gal he'd fired for being a spoiled brat.
So there I was, walking across Central Park South, in search of some kind of lunch that might agree with the reed-thin Mistress of the Universe. And her shoes.
Such shoes! It hurt me just to look at them, these tan, Roberto Cavalli sky-high sandals, which forced the poor girl to walk on the points of her toes like some sadomasochistic ballerina.
Worse, she was hungry.
"Can we have a hot dog?" she asked her manager, Roston Ogata, who steered her safely to a salted pretzel. Justine, 23, who looked as if she hadn't digested since 1999, glared at the baked item as suspiciously as one might eye a street-vended Prada handbag. Then she devoured it.
Justine's elevation from runner-up to reigning interplanetary beauty queen apparently settled the pageant world's equivalent of a military coup. Crowned Miss Universe in May, Russia's Oxana Federova preferred hanging with her boyfriend to making public appearances.
Much worse, she gained 15 pounds!
In this racket, pounds cost money. Oxana was canned and Justine was ready.
As Miss Universe, she gets a salary - pro-rated due to her shortened reign - yearlong use of a Manhattan apartment, clothes, shoes, watches, a $45,000 scholarship to the School for Film and Television and a $20,000 tiara she can keep.
Did I mention the shoes?

MISS UNIVERSE 2001

Denise Quinones
Miss Puerto Rico














All photos courtesy of Miss Universe Inc.






Beautiful island, beautiful lady
Miss Puerto Rico, Denise Quinones, won the Miss Universe crown before an ecstatic crowd in Puerto Rico on May 11, 2001. A few minutes earlier, she had won the Clairol Herbal Essence Style Award, and earlier in the week, she had been chosen Miss Photogenic.
She is the fourth Puerto Rican to become Miss Universe.
The first runner-up was Miss Greece, Evelina Papantoniou, and the second runner-up was Kandace Krueger, Miss USA. The third runner-up was Eva Ekvall, Miss Venezuela, and the fourth runner-up was Celina Jaitley, Miss India.
Other semifinalists were Eva Siso Casals of Spain, Agbani Darego of Nigeria, Ilanit Levi of Israel, Oxana Kalandyrets of Russia and Elodie Gossuin of France.
Nakera Simms of the Bahamas was chosen Miss Congeniality.
With televised pageants considered to be in a ratings slump, this one was preceded by some rather unconventional hype. Television advertising on CBS promised "super-scandals." An absurd rumor was floated, with the obvious acquiescence of the pageant's owners, that Miss France had once been a man. Then the rumor was kept alive by repeated denials. When even the most tenaciously gullible began to tire of the "gender issue," the supposed record of Miss Brazil's plastic surgery was leaked to the media. This time, there were no denials.

MISS UNIVERSE 2000

2000
Lara Dutta
India
Cyprus





Lara Dutta, 21, Miss India, won the Miss Universe Pageant in Cyprus on May 12, 2000 (May 13 according to Cyprus time). She is the second representative of India to win the crown.

Claudia Moreno, 22, Miss Venezuela, was first runner-up, and Helen Lindes, 18, Miss Spain, was second runner-up.

Other finalists were Kim Yee, 22, representing Canada, and Lynnette Cole, 22, Miss USA.

Other semifinalists were Miss Colombia, Catalina Acosta, 22; Miss Estonia, Evelyn Mikomagi, 19; Miss South Africa, Heather Joy Hamilton, 22; Miss Zimbabwe, Corrinne Crewe, 18; and Miss France, Sonia Rolland, 18.

Tamara Scaroni, 23, Miss Aruba, was chosen Miss Congeniality by a vote of her fellow contestants. Letty Murray, 20, of Mexico won the Clairol Herbal Essence Style Award.

For the next year, when people call out the name of Miss Universe, it is India’s Lara Dutta who will turn around.

Ms. Dutta, 21, a Bangalore native born to an Indian father and a European mother, was crowned as the new queen on the morning of May 13, 2000, following a pageant that began at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m. local time in order to be broadcast live in prime time (on May 12) in New York.

Remarking on the innate charisma of a few natural leaders, men like U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, the novelist Saul Bellow once wrote that they must dine strictly on organ meats: their skin simply glowed with an inexplicable radiance and vitality.

A quirky explanation, perhaps, but one must wonder similarly about Ms. Dutta: even in the galaxy of exceptionally beautiful women who graced the Nicosia Hilton for the past month, Ms.Dutta stood out almost immediately as the most radiant star.

Others of the 10 semi-finalists ­ Miss Colombia, Catalina Acosta, who was stunning in her blue sequined evening gown; Miss Zimbabwe, Corrine Crewe, whose appearance in a swimsuit would be an asset to any beach; Miss Canada, Kim Yee, who inherited from her Chinese and Ukrainian parents the best elements of both nations’ physiques -- made a deep impression on journalists and members of the audience.
Yet it was Ms. Dutta’s superior self-assurance and her exceptionally articulate answers to the questions of the master of ceremonies, American entertainer Sinbad, that guaranteed her victory.

Judge Christina Altshul, an MTV VJ, told pageant.com after the competition that the panel had been unanimous in its choice of Ms. Dutta.

One interlude that worked in Ms. Dutta’s favor may have been her refusal to demonstrate classical Indian dance for Sinbad, saying she couldn’t perform the necessary squats in her red, low-backed evening gown. Instead, she did a series of brief hand movements that accompany the dance.

Her determined refusal to perform in an atmosphere she considered uncomfortable or even degrading appeared to win support from an audience that appreciated her self-respect.
So, too, with Ms. Dutta’s answer to Sinbad’s questions about the presence of women among Indian leaders. Women politicians are more sensitive than men, Ms. Dutta said, adding that India’s women stand “shoulder-to-shoulder with their men” and are quite capable and educated -- those that are educated, that is. The audience erupted in a wave of applause.

In contrast to Ms. Dutta’s polish, others of the five finalists seemed to stumble in the question-and-answer session. Miss Spain, Helen Lindes did agree to perform a few basic salsa steps, but she demonstrated neither logic nor humor in answer to a question about the architecture of her native Canary Islands. And in another answer she described a dependence on her mother that judges may have considered too immature for a prospective Miss Universe. Miss USA, Lynnette Cole, a substitute teacher from Tennessee, appeared to lose the natural eloquence she had demonstrated throughout the week, becoming flustered and somewhat tongue-tied at her moment in the spotlight.

Miss Venezuela Claudia Moreno was praised by pageant veterans as most closely embodying the love goddess Aphrodite ­- an ancient Cypriot native, according to local legend, who served as the "patron saint" of this year’s pageant ­- in her elegant light-blue gown. Yet the towering Ms. Moreno, soon to receive her credentials as a dentist, appeared to make a dreadful tactical error by attempting to answer Sinbad’s questions in her faltering English, rather than in her fluent Spanish. While other finalists had time to answer three or four questions, Ms. Moreno’s rambling, grammatically challenged answer to a question about pediatric dentistry left her with no time for other questions.

The error was compounded when the field narrowed to just Spain, India and Venezuela. Sinbad asked each contestant to comment on the protests held near Eleftheria Stadium by religious conservatives and feminists, who denounced the “evils” of beauty pageants that allegedly exploit women. All three contestants praised the pageants as a vehicle for women to increase their access and influence ­- but Ms. Dutta’s beautiful speaking voice and fluent command of English, spoken daily by India’s elite, clearly gave her the upper hand.

In contrast to the earlier round of questioning, Spain’s Ms. Lindes wisely chose to answer in her native Spanish ­- although those who understood her reply in the original instantly realized that the interpreter offered an abbreviated and not altogether faithful rendering in English. Ms. Moreno, however, tried to answer in English and failed to get her message across effectively. When Ms. Dutta put forth a beautifully crafted exposition of the ways in which beauty pageants help women to advance in all fields, the competition was over.

“I sort of predicted what the final question would be, because I had seen [the demonstrators’] banners” after the final dress rehearsal Friday night, Ms. Dutta told journalists after the competition. Pageant veterans said they were astonished that Miss Venezuela passed up the opportunity to express herself fluently in Spanish.

“This was probably the most important question of her life and she doesn’t answer it in her own language,” Guatemala national director Howard Turner said after the competition. “I simply don’t understand it.”

MTV’s Ms. Altshul said the language difficulty for the Spanish-speaking runners-up was understandable, but could not be discounted.

“Of course that affects the judging,” Ms. Altshul said.

As soon as her name was announced, Ms. Dutta grasped Ms. Moreno in an extended embrace and was then crowned by outgoing Miss Universe Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana. The tiara did not sit well on Ms. Dutta’s slick hair, however, and for a few moments she feared to take her hand off it.

After the pageant, Ms. Dutta was asked what was the first thing she wanted to do following her selection as the most beautiful woman in the universe.

“Eat breakfast,” was her reply.
For Miss India, Lara Dutta, a model who aspires to a career in international business, her victory as Miss Universe was the best birthday present she could possibly offer her father, who turned 60 the same day.

Yet Ms. Dutta’s victory was not altogether unexpected. Four years ago, she was chosen as Miss Intercontinental in a competition in Germany -­ “with a different nose,” remarked one pageant professional who has watched Ms. Dutta for years. Last year, in India’s national competition, she placed ahead of Yukta Mookhey, who went on to win the crown of Miss World 1999 several months ago.

In the weeks preceding the pageant, while contestants gathered in Cyprus to prepare for Saturday’s two-hour extravaganza, it quickly became clear that Ms. Dutta was on the short list of favorites. The sole criticism offered by some of her peers was that Ms. Dutta held herself somewhat aloof from the other contestants, appearing to focus almost exclusively on the goal of winning rather than on the value of camaraderie.

Guatemala national director Howard Turner said India has one of the most successful pageant industries, locating promising young women early and coaching them closely as they develop. The investment has made India, which by most criteria belongs squarely in the club of developing nations, into something of a world power in the realm of beauty pageants, as this year’s sweep of the Miss World and Miss Universe titles demonstrates.

Venezuela, which provided first runner-up Claudia Moreno, has a similarly efficient pageant industry whose products often challenge for the top prizes, Turner said. Venezuelan officials even provide a plastic surgeon for their promising contestants, according to one journalist preparing a behind-the-scenes article on the Venezuelan pageant scene.

Ms. Dutta alluded to her nation’s success in a brief post-pageant press conference.

“India is producing girls today who are very intelligent and they prepare us well befor they send us” to international competitions, she said. “I have no idea what lies ahead for me, but I think I’m prepared for it.”

While the master of ceremonies, American entertainer Sinbad, opened the competition with the question, “Who will take [Aphrodite’s] place as the most beautiful woman in the universe?” the results showed that the judges did not choose Ms. Dutta solely on the basis of her beauty.

While Ms. Dutta clearly belonged among the top few contestants in nearly every category, an informal survey of journalists and audience members showed that they placed both of the other finalists, Miss Venezuela and Miss Spain, ahead of Ms. Dutta in the swimsuit competition, and placed Miss Venezuela slightly ahead of Ms. Dutta in the evening gown portion.

Yet it was Ms. Dutta’s brains, polish and poise that left no doubt as to the choice of the next Miss Universe. Simply put, it was evident to all who laid eyes on her that she truly was regal.

MISS UNIVERSE 1999

1999
Mpule Kwelagobe
BOTSWANA
Trinidad and Tobago
















1st runner-up Miriam Quiambao
PHILIPPINES
2nd runner-up Diana Nogueria SPAIN
FINALISTS:
Sonia Raciti SOUTH AFRICA
Lucbel Carolina Indriago Pinto VENEZUELA
SEMI-FINALISTS:
Akuba Cudjoe GHANA
Gul Panag INDIA
Nicole Haughton JAMAICA
Silvia Salgado Cavazos MEXICO
Brenda Liz Lopez Ramos PUERTO RICO

History was again definitely made this year! Mpule ws the first black African to win the crown, the third Africa after Margaret Gardiner and Michelle McLean. Mpule and Wendy Fitzwilliam were the first set of "black-to-black" winners. USA didn't make the semifinals, not since Barbara Peterson failed to make the cut in 1975. This pageant had the most delegates to attend up to present. Mpule was also the first delegate from her country to ever join the Miss Universe pageant. What a stroke of luck. Mpule, however, was a non-finalist at the Miss World pageant 2 years earlier.

MISS UNIVERSE 1998

1998
Wendy Fitzwilliam
TRINIDAD/TOBAGO
Honolulu, Hawaii
USA



























1st runner-up Veruska Tatiana Ramirez
VENEZUELA
2nd runner-up Joyce Marie Giraud
PUERTO RICO
FINALISTS:
Silvia Fernanda Ortiz Guerra COLOMBIA
Shawnae Nicole Jebbia USA
SEMI-FINALISTS:
Michella Dauzacker Marchi BRAZIL
Lymaraina D'Souza INDIA
Andrea Roche IRELAND
Anna Malova RUSSIA
Kerishnie Naicker SOUTH AFRICA


1998 saw the 3rd black woman to win the crown and the second from Trinidad/Tobago in the person of Wendy Fitzwilliam. An unwelcome change, though, is made as television audiences no longer enjoyed the traditional parade of natios with delegates in National Costume but a glitzy fashion-show like slide show of each delegate sans preliminary scores

MISS UNIVERSE 1997

1997
Brook Mahealani Lee
USA
Miami Beach, Florida
USA
























1st runner-up Marena Jpsefina Bencomo
VENEZUELA
2nd runner-up Margot Rita Bourgeois
TRINIDAD/TOBAGO
FINALISTS:
Verna Angela Maria Vasquez CURACAO
Denny Mendez ITALY
Lia Victoria Borrero González PANAMA
SEMI-FINALISTS:
Kristiina Heinmets ESTONIA
Nafisa Joseph INDIA
Ana Rosa Brito Suárez PUERTO RICO
Victoria Lagerstrom SWEDEN


It was thought that this year a record number of pageant delegates would be reached but unfortunate drop outs blew away the record breaking feat. The pageant ended up with 74 delegates. At the end of the night, preliminary favorites Marena Bencomo of Venezuela, Verna Vasquez of Curacao and Panama's Lia Victoria Borrero nor controversial Miss Italy, Denny Mendez (the first Miss Italy of color) were shut out by the wit and intelligence of USA's Brook
Mahealani Lee.