Miss Universe 2006

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Miss Universe 2006 took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Unlike past events, it was held on Sunday, July 23, 2006 (almost two months later than usual). A live international broadcast was made on NBC.

The 2006 pageant is the first time the United States has been a host since 1998, and the second time for Los Angeles, which last hosted the pageant in 1990. The Republic of Kazakhstan was represented for the first time, while the following countries returned after some years of absence: Iceland (1997), New Zealand (2003), Argentina (2003), St. Lucia (1977), St. Martin (2000), Ghana (2004), Estonia (2004), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (2004), and the Northern Marianas (2002). The 2006 pageant also featured the most delegates in its history, with 86 delegates arriving in Los Angeles.

Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned her successor, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico, at the conclusion of the two-hour show. Her reign was the longest ever in Miss Universe history: one year and two months, from the time she was crowned on May 31, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Contents 1 Results 2 2006 Contestants 3 Records/Trivia 3.1 Delegates 3.2 General 3.3 Results 4 External link

[edit] Results

• Miss Universe 2006: Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza (Puerto Rico).
• The runners-up were:
  • 1st runner-up: Kurara Chibana (Japan)
  • 2nd runner-up: Lauriane Gilliéron (Switzerland)
  • 3rd runner-up: Lourdes Arévalos (Paraguay)
  • 4th runner-up: Tara Conner (USA)

• The following contestants made it as the top ten finalists, competing in both swimsuit and evening gown: Desiree Durán Morales (Bolivia), Alice Panikian (Canada), Valerie Dominguez Tarud (Colombia), Kenisha Thom (Trinidad and Tobago), Priscila Perales (Mexico)
• The following contestants made the top twenty semifinalists and competed in the swimsuit competition: Magali Romitelli (Argentina), Rafaela Zanella (Brazil), Betina Faurbiye (Denmark), Dina Fekadu (Ethiopia), Adrienn Bende (Hungary), Neha Kapur (India), Anna Litvinova (Russia), Josephine Alhanko (Sweden), Charm Onwarin Osathanond (Thailand), Inna Tsymbalyuk (Ukraine).

• Special awards went to:
  • Congeniality: Angela Asare (Ghana)
  • Photogenic: Lia Andrea Ramos (Philippines)
  • National costume: Kurara Chibana (Japan)

[edit] 2006 Contestants

Albania Eralda Itaj Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)  Angola Ismenia Junior Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)  Antigua and Barbuda Shari McEwan Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)  Argentina Magali Romitelli Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Semifinalist  Aruba Melissa Laclé Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Australia Erin McNaught Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)  Bahamas Samantha Carter Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Belgium Tatiana Silva Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)  Bolivia Desirée Durán Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Finalist Brazil Rafaela Zanella Age: 19 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Semifinalist  Bulgaria Galena Dimova Age: 24 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Canada Alice Panikian Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Finalist  Cayman Islands Ambuyah Ebanks Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)  Chile Belen Montilla Age: 23 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)  China Yinghui Gao (高颖慧, Hanyu Pinyin: Gāo Yǐnghùi) Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Colombia Valerie Domínguez Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Finalist  Costa Rica Fabriella Quesada Age: 22 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)  Croatia Biljana Mancic Age: 20 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)  Cyprus Eleni Ierodiakonou Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  Czech Republic Renata Langmannova Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)  Denmark Betina Faurbye Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist  Dominican Republic Mía Taveras Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)  Ecuador Katty Lopez Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  Egypt Fawzeya Mohamed Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)  El Salvador Rebeca Iraheta Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  Estonia Kirke Klemmer Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)  Ethiopia Dina Fekadu Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist  Finland Ninni Laaksonen Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) France Alexandra Rosenfeld Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)

Georgia Ekaterine Buadze Age:20 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Germany Natalie Ackermann Montealegre Age: 26 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)  Ghana Angela Asare Age: 20 Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Miss Congeniality  Greece Olympia Hopsonidou Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)  Guatemala Jackelinne Piccinini Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)  Guyana Alana Ernest Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)  Hungary Adrienn Bende Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist Iceland Sif Aradóttir Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) India Neha Kapur Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist  Indonesia Nadine Chandrawinata Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)  Ireland Melanie Boreham Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  Israel Anastasya Yentin Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)  Jamaica Cindy Wright Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)  Japan Kurara Chibana (知花 くらら, Chibana Kurara?) Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 1st Runner-Up Best National Costume  Kazakhstan Dina Nuraliyeva Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Korea Joo Hee Kim (Hangul: 김주희, RR: Gim Ju-hui, M-R: Kim Chu-hŭi) Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)  Latvia Sanita Kublina Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Lebanon Gabrielle Bou Rached Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Malaysia Melissa Ann Tan Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)  Mauritius Isabelle Antoo Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Mexico Priscila Perales Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Finalist  Namibia Anna Nashandi Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  New Zealand Elizabeth Gray Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  Nicaragua Cristiana Frixione Mendoza Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)  Nigeria Tienepre Oki Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)  Northern Mariana Islands Shequita Deleon Guerrero Bennett Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) Norway Martine Jonassen Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)  Panama Alessandra Mezquita Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)  Paraguay Lourdes Arevalos Age: 22 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 3rd Runner-Up

Peru Fiorella Viñas Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Philippines Lia Andrea Ramos Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Miss Photogenic  Poland Francys Sudnicka Age: 26 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Miss Universe 2006  Russia Anna Litvinova Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Semifinalist  Serbia and Montenegro Nada Milinic Age: 18 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Singapore Carol Cheong Yim Foon Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)  Slovakia Judita Hrubyova Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)  Slovenia Natasa Pinoza Age: 22 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)  South Africa Thuli Sithole Age: 22 Height: 1.73 m Spain Elisabeth Reyes Age: 21 Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)  Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) St. Lucia Sascha Andrew-Rose Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) St. Martin Gisella Hilliman Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) St. Vincent and The Grenadines Shivern Peters Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Sweden Josephine Alhanko Age: 25 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Semifinalist  Switzerland Lauriane Gilliéron Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 2nd Runner-Up Thailand Charm Onwarin Osathanond Age: 19 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Semifinalist  Trinidad and Tobago Kenisha Thom Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Finalist  Turkey Ceyla Kirazli Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)  Turks and Caicos Islands Shaveena Been Age: 24 Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)  Ukraine Inna Tsymbalyuk Age: 21 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Semifinalist United Kingdom Julie Doherty Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)  Uruguay Fatimih Davila Age: 18 Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) USA Tara Conner Age: 20 Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) 4th Runner-Up US Virgin Islands JeT'aime Cerge Age: 22 Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Venezuela Jictzad Viña Age: 23 Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)  Zambia Mofya Chisenga Age: 23 Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)

[edit] Records/Trivia

[edit] Delegates

• The two tallest delegates are from West Africa: Miss Ghana (6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and Miss Nigeria (6 ft 1 in (1.85 m))
• Three delegates have previously competed in the Miss World pageant. Trinidad and Tobago's Kenisha Thom represented her nation at Miss World 2004, and placed in the top 15. St. Lucia's Sascha Andrew-Rose also represented her nation at Miss World 2004, but failed to place. Lauriane Gilliéron of Switzerland and Tatiana Silva Braga Tavares of Belgium both competed at Miss World 2005 but failed to place as well.
• Miss Indonesia, Nadine Chandrawinata, is half German.
• The final competition evening gown for Miss USA Tara Conner was designed during a competition held on the reality television show Project Runway.
• Miss Colombia's cousin was Miss Colombia 2005 (who failed to make the cut at Miss Universe 2005) Another cousin of hers is pop singer Shakira.
• Miss Mauritius, Isabelle Antoo, is the sister of Miss Mauritius 2004, Magalie Antoo, who participated in the Miss Universe 2005 pageant in Thailand.
• This year features the most delegates in the history of the pageant - 86.
• Countries that sent delegates the previous year, but failed to send a delegate to this year's competition include: Barbados, Belize, Curacao, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, and Vietnam.
• Although selecting delegates, the British Virgin Islands and Portugal ultimately did not end up participating. The British Virgin Islands selected Deria Joseph, while Portugal was slated to be represented by Marina Rodrigues.
• There was some speculation among some pageant-related internet websites and magazines such as Missosology.org that Iraq would return after a 34-year absence to be represented by Silvia Shahakian. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, which last participated 20 years ago as Zaire and was the African pageant powerhouse, was also expected to be returning to be represented by a delegate named Mlle Diane Muzungu. However, both these speculations failed to come into fruition.
• This year's field of contestants was considered to be one of the strongest in Miss Universe history. Some favorites who didn't make the cut included Australia(whose exclusion was a surprise to many as she was a favorite to win the crown),Ghana, Indonesia,Poland(who also competed in Miss Venezuela), Spain, and Venezuela.

[edit] General

• Los Angeles hosted the pageant for the second time, having previously hosted in 1990. It is the first time the pageant has been held in the United States since 1998 (when the pageant was held in Hawaii).
• The judges at the 2006 competition include: Miss Universe 2003 Amelia Vega; Claudia Jordan (Miss USA finalist, currently a model for Deal or no Deal); ex-Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith; actor James Lesure (from NBC's "Las Vegas"); Maria Celeste Arraras (host of Telemundo's Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste); fashion photographer Patrick McMullan; Project Runway's Santino Rice; the winner of season 5 of The Apprentice, Sean Yazbeck; actress and Miss Teen USA 1990 Bridgette Wilson-Sampras; actor and comedian Tom Green; and writer Marc Cherry. Actress Bo Derek was scheduled to be a judge but was later replaced.
• This year, a top 20 was selected, rather than the usual top 15.

[edit] Results

• Countries that have placed for the first time are: Ukraine, Hungary and Ethiopia.
• Countries that got called out to the semi-finals after a long period without placement are: Denmark (39 years), Argentina (27 years), Thailand (18 years), Bolivia (16 years) and Sweden (9 years).
• Lauriane Gilliéron, 2nd Runner-Up is now Switzerland's highest placement in Miss Universe after beating their 1983 record of 3rd Runner-Up.
• Venezuela failed to place for only the second time in the past 24 years.
• Puerto Rico, with their fifth win, becomes the second most successful territory/state to compete at Miss Universe.
• Philippines wins the Miss Photogenic award two years in a row (and its sixth).
• Japan wins the Best National Costume award for the first time.

[edit] External link

• Official site

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