LAS VEGAS — 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."
Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second, while Miss
Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third.
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 HANNAH DREIER and MICHELLE RINDELS, Huffington Post.
