Venezuela’s Stefania Fernandez Wins Miss Universe 2009

By Emilio J. Lopez

NASSAU – Stefania Fernandez became the sixth Venezuelan to win the Miss Universe title at a ceremony Sunday night at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

This is the first time in the Miss Universe competition that a candidate from the country that won the year before has been crowned the most beautiful woman on the planet.

Miss Universe 2008, Dayana Mendoza, handed over the crown to the new beauty queen, who was a bundle of nerves but overjoyed as she hugged her compatriot, with the result that her crown fell off and rolled across the floor.

Mendoza picked up the crown and this time successfully placed it on the head of Miss Universe 2009.

After two hours of entertainment, emotion and nerves, Miss Venezuela won out over another Latin girl, the Dominican Ada Aimee de la Cruz, 23, a dazzling beauty who in the end was chosen as first runner-up.

The representative of Kosovo, 18-year-old Gona Dragusha, was second runner-up. Next came the third runner-up, Australia’s Rachael Finch, 21, while fourth was another Latin American, Miss Puerto Rico, Mayra Matos Perez, 20.

The three representatives of Spanish-speaking countries managed to come through the test of the semifinals and continued to show Latin beauties’ dominance of the Miss Universe contest.

The 18-year-old Fernandez, olive-skinned, brown-eyed, 1.77 meters (5 feet, 10 inches) tall with chestnut hair, had been voted one of the favorites by visitors to the Miss Universe Web site.

Asked by the jury about the obstacles that today’s women have to deal with to reach management positions in corporations, she said that “women have overcome many obstacles and have reached the same level as men.”

The new Miss Universe 2009 said that “there are no longer any borders between men and women.”

The contest coronation was transmitted live to 185 countries by the U.S. television network NBC.

For U.S. magnate Donald Trump, co-owner of the Miss Universe contest, the group of hopefuls for the title this year was “probably the best we have seen in the last 12 years.”

“I think this is the most beautiful group of women I’ve ever seen,” he said with enthusiasm on the red carpet shortly before the final phase of the competition began.

Also announced in the finals was the winner of the Miss Photogenic title, a prize that went to Miss Thailand, Chutima Durongdej, 23, while Miss China, Jingyao Wang, 18, was named Miss Congeniality.

The new Miss Universe will have a New York apartment for her use during her reign and will receive a scholarship worth $100,000 to study at the New York Film Academy, plus an annual salary.

The many gifts included an entire wardrobe of bathing suits and evening gowns designed by Puerto Rican modiste Carlos Alberto Otero, who designed the cocktail dress that the misses wore at the opening of the finals.

Throughout the Miss Universe contest’s 57-year history, the greatest number of victories have gone to the United States with a total of seven winners, followed by Venezuela with six crowns and Puerto Rico with five.

The masters of ceremony at the contest finals were Billy Bush of the magazine Access Hollywood, who was also onstage in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and the U.S. model and actress Claudia Jordan, who was Miss Rhode Island and has appeared as a contestant on the “Celebrity Apprentice” program of U.S. magnate Donald Trump.

Among the 12 celebrities making up part of the jury at the contest finals were Argentine model Valeria Mazza and U.S. actor Dean Cain, known for his Superman role in the television series.

This is the first time for the Bahamas to host the Miss Universe beauty contest, property of U.S. magnate Donald Trump and the NBC Universal television network. EFE

Miss Universe winner 2009

Miss USA was chosen Sunday as one of the top 15 finalists who will be vying for the Miss Universe crown. Kristen Dalton joins contestants from the following countries: Puerto Rico, Iceland, Albania, Czech Republic, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Sweden, Kosovo, Australia, France, Switzerland, South Africa, Croatia and Venezuela.

The 15 finalists appeared in bathing suits. The final 10 will be chosen before the evening gown segment and the final five will take questions from the judges.

The beauty queens thrilling tourists as they prepared Sunday before the Miss Universe pageant, pausing to wave and smile for fans gathered at the Atlantis Hotel. Bystanders raised cameras or hoisted children on their shoulders for a better view.

Many contestants have suffered from dehydration in recent weeks, and Jewel Selver, Miss Turks and Caicos, went home Saturday to recuperate, said Esther Swan, Miss Universe spokeswoman. Selver was one of eight contestants from Caribbean islands.

A winner will be crowned by the reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela.

The televised event includes musical performances by Flo Rida, Heidi Montag, David Guetta and Kelly Rowland. Hosts are Billy Bush, co-anchor of "Access Hollywood," and Claudia Jordan, former Miss Rhode Island USA who has appeared on several TV shows. Judges include actor Dean Cain and supermodel Valeria Mazza.