Miss Venezuela is Miss Universe 2008

14 Jul, 2008

Miss Venezuela is Miss Universe 2008

Posted by: Zang Caesar In: Entertainment

Had I not woken up late to go on with my hospital duty, I wouldn’t have been able to watch this year’s Miss Universe pageant.

The Venezuelans have again added to their list another Miss Universe grand winner as the 22-year-old Dayana Mendoza is hailed Miss Universe 2008 at the Crown Convention Center (Diamond Bay Resort ) in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008 Monday 8:30 AM EST, ending the reign of Miss Japan Riyo Mori as the Miss Universe 2007.

When asked by judge Louis Licari with “Do you believe men or women have it easier in life, and why?”, Dayana wittingly answered: “Um, well actually God made us to share and to have difference, but big difference between women and men, doesn’t matter whether kind of life they live, is that men think, that they think that the faster way to go to a point is go straight. Women know that the faster way to go to a point is go to the curve and fix in every curves.”

The Latina of 5-foot 10-inch tall bested 79 beautiful ladies from various countries. The other four ladies who were so close to gaining the crown but weren’t as lucky as Dayana herself are as follows:

miss universe 2008 miss venezuela dayana mendoza

Miss Universe 2008 1st Runner Up, Ms. Colombia, Taliana Vargas
Miss Universe 2008 2nd Runner Up, Ms. Dominican Republic, Marianne Cruz Gonzalez
Miss Universe 2008 3th Runner Up, Ms. Russia, Vera Krasova
Miss Universe 2008 4th Runner Up, Ms. Mexico, Elisa Najera

Guiness had hailed Venezuela as the country of most beautiful women, judging from the wins and awards it garnered on various international beauty pageants such as Miss Universe. And now, here’s a new accolade of beauty for the country.

Aside from the winners, this year’s Miss Universe will be once again talked about as Miss USA, Crystle Stewart, fell to her butt as she stepped on her gown in the evening gown competition (watch the video embed below). The moment she fell, what got into me as that she’s making it for a show: last year’s Miss USA experienced the same and this time for it to happen again just seems unnatural, at least for me. It had me thinking that it might be this year’s Miss USA’s way of gaining attention, as bluntly I would say she might have not gotten too much of it. Her beauty does not endear her to me (unlike Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith) that I thought she was just chosen to be on Top 15 to Top 10 as it is America that we are talking about, the most powerful country we have today. Not to add the senior producer/founder of the show himself; Donald Trump.

miss universe 2008 hosts jerry springer and melanie b of spice girls

Though somewhat crestfallen that Miss Philippines did not at all win even a special award, I had my share of fun watching the show, especially with hosts Jerry Springer’s (America’s Got Talent) natural humor and Melanie B’s (Spice Girls) twang and tongue-out line delivery.

The ladies who made it Top 15, however, were:

Ms. Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza
Ms. Kosovo, Zana Krasniqi
Ms. Mexico, Elisa Najera
Ms. Vietnam, Lam Thuy Nguyen
Ms. South Africa, Tansey Coetzee
Ms. Australia, Laura Dundovic
Ms. Japan, Hiroko Mima
Ms. Dominican Republic, Marianne Cruz Gonzalez
Ms. Italy, Claudia Ferraris
Ms. Colombia, Taliana Vargas
Ms. Russia, Vera Krasova
Ms. Hungary, Jazmin Dammak
Ms. Czech Republic, Eliska Buckova
Ms. USA, Crystle Stewart
Ms. Spain, Claudia Moro

And those who made it to Top 10 were:
Ms. Kosovo, Zana Krasniqi
Ms. Australia, Laura Dundovic
Ms. Spain, Claudia Moro
Ms. Mexico, Elisa Najera
Ms. Colombia, Taliana Vargas
Ms. USA, Crystle Stewart

Miss Thailand Gavintra Photijak won the Best National Costume in Miss Universe 2008

Ms. Dominican Republic, Marianne Cruz Gonzalez
Ms. Russia, Vera Krasova
Ms. Italy, Claudia Ferraris
Ms. Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza

The winners for the special awards were:

Best in National Costume – Miss Thailand:Gavintra Photijak
Miss Congeniality – Miss El Salvador: Rebeca Moreno
Best in Bikini - Queen of Vinpearl - Miss Mexico: Elisa Najera
Best in Áo dài (Vietname National Costume) – Miss Venezuela: Dayana Mendoza

The pageant winners were ascertained by judges Jennifer Hawkings, Donald Trump, Jr., Louis Licari, Eesha Koppikhar, Nadine Velazquez, Roberto Cavalli (so this is who Boy Abunda always thank about in his show?), Nguyen Cong Khe and Taryn Rose.

The official delegates were as follows:

Albania - Matilda Mcini
Angola - Lesly Pereira
Antigua & Barbuda - Athina James
Argentina - Maria Silvana Belli
Aruba - Tracey Nicolaas
Australia - Laura Dundovic
Bahamas - Sacha Scott
Belgium - Alizee Poulicek
Bolivia - Kate David
Brazil - Natalia Anderle
Canada - Samatha Tajik
Cayman Islands - Rebecca Parchment
China - Ziya Wei
Colombia - Taliana Vargas
Costa Rica - Maria Teresa Rodriguez
Croatia - Snjezana Loncarevic
Curacao- Jenyfer Natividad Mercelina
Cyprus - Dimitra Sergiou
Czech Republic - Eliska Buckova
Denmark - Maria Sten Knudsen
Dominican Republic - Marianne Cruz Gonzalez
Ecuador - Domenica Saporiti
Egypt - Yara Naoum
El Salvador - Rebeca Moreno
Estonia - Julia Kovaljova
Finland - Satu Tuomisto
France - Laura Tanguy
Georgia - Gvantsa Daraselia
Germany - Madina Taher
Ghana - Yvette Nsiah
Greece - Dionysia Koukiou
Guam - Siera Robertson
Guatemala - Jennifer Chiong
Honduras - Diana Gabriela Barrasa
Hungary - Jazmin Dammak
India - Simran Kaur Mundi
Indonesia - Putri Raemawasti
Ireland - Lynn Kelly
Israel - Shunit Faragi
Italy - Claudia Ferraris
Jamaica - April Jackson
Japan - Hiroko Mima
Kazakhstan - Alfina Nassuriva
Korea - Sun Lee
Kosovo - Zana Krasniqi
Malaysia - Levy Li Su Lin
Mauritius - Olivia Carey
Mexico - Elisa Najera
Montenegro - Dasa Zivkovic
Netherlands - Charlotte Labee
New Zealand - Samantha Powell
Nicaragua - Thelma Rodriguez
Nigeria - Stephanie Oforka
Norway - Mariann Birkedal
Panama - Carolina Dementiev Justavino
Paraguay - Giannina Ruffinelli
Peru - Karol Castillo
Philippines - Jennifer Barrientos
Poland - Barbara Tatara
Puerto Rico - Ingrid Rivera
Russia - Vera Krasova
Serbia - Bojana Boric
Singapore - Shenise Wong
Slovak Republic - Sandra Manakova
Slovenia - Anamarija Avbelj
South Africa - Tansey Coetzee
Spain - Clausia Moro
Sri Lanka - Aruni Rajapaksha
Switzerland - Amanda Ammann
Tanzania - Amanda Ole Sulul
Thailand - Gavintra Photijak
Trinidad & Tobago - Anya Ayoung-Chee
Turkey - Sinem Sulun
Turks & Caicos - Angelica Lightbourne
UK - Lisa Lazarus
Ukraine - Eleonora Masalab
Uruguay - Paula Diaz Galione
USA - Crystle Stewart
Venezula - Daya Mendoza
Vietnam - Lam Thuy Nguyen