Miss Universe 2011 Contestants


Miss Universe 2011 Contestants
The new Miss Universe Leila Lopes hopes her victory will help her native Angola to avoid further his stories of war and poverty and said that she plans to focus on the fight against HIV in the world.

Speaking in a timid voice on Tuesday morning shortly after taking the crown in the largest city in South America, 25-year-old Lopez said that the "Miss Angola I have done much to help my people."

"I worked with a variety of social causes. I work with poor children, I work in the fight against HIV. I have been working to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs," she said. "I think that now, as Miss Universe I can do a lot more."

Replying to questions, Lopez said she never had cosmetic surgery of any kind and that her three tips for beauty had to get plenty of sleep and block the use of armed forces, even if it is not sunny and drink plenty of water. She said that her smile was her best weapon in the competition.

Responding to a question about racism in light of the fact that she is one of the few blacks ever Miss Universe, Lopez said that "any racist to ask for help. It is not normal in the 21st century to think that way."

Lopez is the first winner of Angola. She walked 88 other competitors to win the title for the 60th anniversary of the biggest beauty pageant in the world. It replaces last year's winner, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico.

She deftly handled the interview question asked by the remaining five contestants. She was questioned about what physical trait she would change if she could.

"Thank God, I am very pleased with the way God made me, and I would not change anything," said Lopez. "I think of myself as a woman endowed with inner beauty. I bought a lot of great principles of my family and I intend to follow it for a lifetime."

First Vice-was 23-year-old Olesya Stefanko Ukraine and was second vice-Priscila Machado Brazil. The third was Miss Philippines and Miss China fourth.

Participants spent the last three weeks in Sao Paulo, trying to learn samba dance steps, visiting underprivileged children and kicked a football for the cameras, as Miss Universe has come to Brazil for the first time.

Despite the struggle against the country's favorite, Lopez won the audience, speaking in a common language to Portuguese. Angola, Brazil, is a former Portuguese colony.

"She captivated the crowd and we were all behind her," said the Brazilian Natalie Bursztyn, 20, who was in the crowd inside the Credicard Hall, where the event occurred. "It was great that the judges also saw that the fans saw and gave her the crown. Her dress was beautiful, and she knew exactly what to say when they asked her questions about her appearance."

Another fan in the audience, Carolina Rocha, said Lopez win was "well-deserved, we were rooting for her all the time. Her smile and her friendliness was what set it apart from others. She also answered her question very well that the probability helped her a lot. "

U.S. broadcast journalist Connie Chung was one of the top judges, said before the competition that she was taking the competition seriously.

"I know my job and I'll be tough, but fair," said Chung. "You have to keep in mind that these women are not objects but would be considered. They have to be taken seriously. I want to choose someone I really and the world seriously, too."

Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe, has been hyped for the night.

"It's our 60th anniversary, this is a very great show," she said. "We are close to a billion viewers in anticipation of the whole world."

Shugart said it is assembling the biggest beauty contest of the globe will be held in Brazil at this time, as the country prepares to host some major events in the coming years.

"I do not think that is any doubt in the mind the rest of the world that Brazil is a place between the Olympics and the championship of the world," she said. "I like the fact that we're going to blow it. I always say that we" World Cup "beauty."

Participants should not have been married or had children, and must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years to February 1 of the competition year.

Competition organized by the NBC "Today" anchor Natalie Morales and Andy Cohen, Bravo network, has been broadcastr live on NBC and distributed to approximately 170 countries. Contest co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC, and celebrity judges included Chang and two well-known Brazilian, supermodel Isabeli Fontana and Indy race car driver Helio Castroneves.

Morales, who is half Brazilian, said that "the most important thing for women to be beautiful inside and out."

For Cohen, the task of hosting an easy one.

"It's a fun job. All I have to do is stand and smile and shout the names of countries," he said.

Sharply dressed men and women pushed to the chance to have their photos taken with the stars on the red carpet. Some traveled the world to support the contestants.

Jehona Dreshaj, 17, arrived from Kosovo, to cheer on his sister, Aferdita Dreshaj, representing a European country.

"It does not matter the result, she was the winner in our eyes, and we are so proud of her," she said. "It was an incredible experience for her and for us all. It's great for her to represent our country in an event like this"

There have been no headline-grabbing blunders going in the competition this year, unlike in previous years, which saw the debates of various stripes. Show went off without a hitch.

Some participants complained about the local media about the amount used in several bikini photo shoots, and Miss Mexico Karin Ontiveros saying they were "very small".

That was enough to draw chuckles in Brazil, where women from all walks of life, not just beauty queens, sports, barely there swimsuits on the beaches across the country.

Miss USA Alyssa Campanella, California, failed to end a long losing spell for the U.S. competition. American has been named Miss Universe Brook Lee won a title in 1997.

The contest began as a local bathing suit revue in Long Beach, California, organized by the swimwear company.

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