Mexico captures Miss Universe crown

The Miss Universe title continues in Latin America after Mexico’s Jimena Navarrete won the crown last night.

AFP described Navarrete’s victory as “an upset” yet she was one of several favorites who made it to the final five along with the representatives from Jamaica and Australia. The 22-year-old received high scores from the judges during the swimwear and evening gown sections of the program. Yet she appeared to clinch the competition after skillfully answering her final round question on unsupervised Internet use while others faced tougher queries on topics such as capital punishment.

Prior to the contest betting agency Paddy Power gave 14-1 odds for Marelisa Gibson to win three consecutive Miss Universe crowns for her native Venezuela. Gibson was cut early in the competition, however, and Navarrete would win the title with Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps as the first runner-up.

Before being crowned Navarrete, who becomes Mexico’s second-ever Miss Universe, mentioned one of her aims as the winner:

Navarrete, a nature enthusiast from Guadalajara, revealed earlier in the competition that she wanted to work with women who suffer from eating disorders.

“I studied nutrition and I would like everyone to understand that it is not about your looks it is how you feel inside,” the 5-foot-nine brunette said through an interpreter. “And when you feel good inside you look good.”

Navarrete’s victory came at the end of a gaudy ceremony from Las Vegas that included a dancing troupe of Elvis impersonators.

Image- El Universal
Online Sources- AFP, CBC, CBS News, Time, Toronto Sun