Mexico takes Miss Universe title

MEXICO’S Jimena Navarrete was crowned Miss Universe in an upset victory that stunned a pageant world which had predicted the winner would come from Ireland’s Rozanna Purcell, Miss Venezuela or Miss United States.

After Miss USA and Miss Venezuela fell by the wayside, 20-year-old Miss Ireland Rozanna Purcell became favourite, but while she made the last ten from 83 contestants, she too failed to advance to the final five after a swimsuit and evening wear parade.

The 22-year-old winner from Guadalajara in Mexico, resplendent in a ruby-red evening gown, has been modelling since she was 15, but nothing could quite prepare her for her moment of glory.

“I did feel surprised, I just went blank,” the brunette beauty said of her crowning achievement.

“There was nothing going through my mind. I was in a state of shock.”

Beyond the diamond encrusted tiara affixed to her head when the announcers declared she had triumphed over runner-up Miss Jamaica, Yendi Phillipps, Navarrete receives a one-year scholarship to the New York Film Academy, and a year’s supply of shoes, dresses and hair products.

Her coronation – which earned her a congratulatory message on Twitter from Mexican President Felipe Calderon – ends the reign of outgoing Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela.

Had this year’s Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson, 21, taken the title, it would have been a three-year sweep for the South American nation.

But Gibson was ousted in the early going – along with Miss USA Rima Fakih, 24, as the field of 83 was pared down to 15.

The two-hour finale was devoid of the political drama that has erupted in past years at this event, although there had been potential for controversy when Fakih, the first American Muslim to become Miss USA, disappointed many Islamic leaders on Saturday by saying she opposes construction of a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York city.

“I totally agree with President (Barack) Obama with the statement on constitutional rights of freedom of religion,” she told Inside Edition, the US tabloid TV show.

“I also agree that it shouldn’t be so close to the World Trade Center [site]. We should be more concerned with the tragedy than religion.”

The plans for an Islamic community centre, which includes a mosque, about two blocks from the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks has stirred passions and controversy less than three months before key US elections.

Real estate titan Donald Trump, owner of the Miss Universe Organisation, has come out against the mosque plans.

The finalists were largely able to steer clear of controversy in the competition’s Q&A.

Judge Evan Lysacek, an Olympic gold medalist skater, asked Navarrete for her views on what to do about the problem of children using the Internet without proper supervision.

She responded vaguely but, evidently, adequately.

“I do believe that the internet is an indispensable, necessary tool for the present time,” said Navarrete, the first Mexican winner of the contest since 1991.

“We must be sure to teach them the values that we learned as a family.”

Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska, 23, said she favours full-body scanners in airports “if that helps to save the lives of people,” while 19-year-old Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell believes governments have no place in telling citizens whether to wear religious garb.

Navarrete, who says she plans to study nutritional science, is expected to spend her year as Miss Universe drawing attention to the plight of people with HIV/AIDS and breast cancer.

The event’s audience has shrank wordwide, but most noticeably in America, where viewer numbers have dwindled from 38 million in 1980 to just 6 million.