Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe 2012
Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes crowns her successor, Miss USA Olivia Culpo. |
Miss USA Olivia Culpo tries to regain her composure before being crowned by | Leila Lopes |
Leila Lopes and Logan West assist in the coronation of the new Miss Universe, Olivia Culpo |
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 20-year-old Boston University sophomore and a self-described "cellist-nerd" brought the Miss Universe crown back to the United States for the first time in more than a decade when she won the televised contest Wednesday.
Olivia Culpo beat out 88 other beauty queens to take the title from Leila Lopes of Angola during the two-hour competition at the Planet Hollywood casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
Culpo wore a tight navy blue
mini-dress with a sequined bodice as she walked on stage for the
competition's opening number. Later in the night, she strutted in a
purple and blue bikini, and donned a wintery red velvet gown with a
plunging neckline.
Culpo's coronation ends a long losing spell for the U.S. in the competition co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC. An American had not won the right to be called Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997. Culpo was good enough during
preliminary competitions to be chosen as one of 16 semifinalists who
moved on to compete in the pageant's finale. Her bid lasted through
swimsuit, evening wear, and interview competitions that saw cuts after
each round.
She won over the judges, even after tripping slightly during the evening gown competition. Telecasters pointed it out but also noted her poised recovery.
Minutes before the middle child of five was crowned, she was asked whether she had she had ever done something she regretted.
"I'd like to start off by saying
that every experience no matter what it is, good or bad, you'll learn
from it. That's just life," she said. "But something I've done I've
regretted is probably picking on my siblings growing up, because you
appreciate them so much more as you grow older."
The Five Finalists |
Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second; Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third; Miss Australia Renae Ayris placed fourth; and Miss Brazil Gabriela Markus placed fifth.
All the contestants spent the
past two weeks in Sin City, where they posed in hardhats at a hotel
groundbreaking, took a painting lesson, and pranked hotel guests by
hiding in their rooms.
Culpo was the first Miss USA winner from Rhode Island when she took the national crown in Las Vegas in June.
She grew up in Cranston with two
professional musicians for parents and has played the cello alongside
world-renowned classical musician Yo-Yo Ma. On her Miss Universe page,
she said she hopes to pursue a career in film or television, and cites
Audrey Hepburn as a role model because of her "generosity, intelligence
and grace."
With Culpo's promotion, Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether becomes the new Miss USA.
The Miss Universe pageant was
back in Las Vegas this year after being held in Sao Paulo in 2011. It
aired live on NBC and was streamed to more than 100 countries.
Organizers had considered holding
the 61st annual Miss Universe in the popular Dominican Republic tourist
city of Punta Cana, but Miss Universe Organization President Paula
Shugart said that country's financial crisis proved to be too much of an
obstacle.
The panel of 10 judges included singer Cee Lo Green, "Iron Chef" star Masaharu Morimoto and Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants.
Asked on the red carpet whether
he found playing in the World Series or judging the beauty pageant to be
more difficult, Sandoval said both were hard.
Sharply dressed women and men,
including a large contingent from South America, held banners and
cheered on their favorite contestants.
The pageant started as a local
revue in Long Beach, Calif., organized by Catalina Swimwear. It is not
affiliated with the Miss America pageant and unlike that contest, does
not include a talent section.
Contestants in the pageant cannot
have been married or have children. They must be younger than 27 and
older than 18 by Feb. 1 of the competition year.
As Miss Universe, Culpo will
receive an undisclosed salary, a wardrobe fit for a queen, a limitless
supply of beauty products, and a luxury apartment in New York City.
By | Associated Press
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