The Hindu : International : Australian is Miss Universe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 03, 2004

International

International

Australian is Miss Universe

QUITO, JUNE 2. A 20-year-old, blue-eyed Australian, who said she had never expected to win such a crown, was named Miss Universe 2004 in a two-hour pageant in this Andean capital.

Jennifer Hawkins, 180 cm tall, smiled as the outgoing title-holder, Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic, slipped the crown on her head on Tuesday night.

Miss USA, Shandi Finnessey, was first runner-up in the field of 80 beauty queens who represented their respective countries. India's Tanushree Dutta reached the last 10 but was ousted in the battle for the last five.

Some 7,500 spectators who paid hundreds of dollars for seats cheered as Ms. Hawkins walked down the ramp, smiling, waving and looking stunned by her victory. At a news conference later, she arrived with Donald Trump, who owns the Miss Universe parent organisation. ``I want to present to you the new Miss Universe. She's spectacular,'' Mr. Trump said. ``Jennifer is the most beautiful Miss Universe I have seen in many, many years.''

Ms. Hawkins, appearing nervous, said she ``had no idea this was going to happen to me. It was completely beyond my imagination." She added: ``I have a lot to learn about being Miss Universe, but I'm going to give it my all.''

Besides Miss USA, the three other finalists were Miss Puerto Rico Alba Reyes, second runner-up; Miss Paraguay Yanina Gonzalez, third runner-up, and Miss Trinidad & Tobago Danielle Jones, fourth runner-up. Ms. Reyes also was chosen Miss Photogenic.

Ms. Hawkins is involved in modelling and dancing and said she choreographs a dance team that tours Australia. Her interests are surfing, wakeboarding, camping with family, watching football with her father, reading, movies and seeing the Australian ballet.

The finalists were announced after 10 semi-finalists paraded in swimsuits before the crowd.

Before the pageant began, singer Gloria Estefan defended the contest from critics who consider such events to be frivolous and demeaning to women. ``A beautiful woman has very great powers to convince, and we have seen many misses who have done a great job,'' said the Cuban-American singer, who performed at the Miss Universe finals on Tuesday night. ``The new Miss Universe should do a spectacular job helping the needy.''

The two-hour finals were broadcast live around the world. Organisers expected the pageant to be seen by 1.5 billion television viewers in 180 countries. All 80 contestants participated in the finals.

Fifteen semi-finalists were chosen — but not announced — in a preliminary bathing suit and evening gown showdown on May 27. That group was reduced to 10 before the five finalists were named. The panel of judges included the musician Emilio Estefan, the actress Bo Derek and the supermodel Petra Nemcova.

Kwame Jackson, who was a runner-up on the U.S. reality show ``The Apprentice,'' was dropped as a judge at the beauty event. Mr. Jackson was disqualified on Monday by pageant organisers for greeting beauty queens he bumped into in the lobby of their hotel.

Ms. Vega, the 2003 winner, a 19-year-old from Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, plans to launch a career as a singer, following in the footsteps of her uncle, Juan Luis Guerra, Latin America's king of merengue music.

``We're all so proud and so excited for her,'' the new Miss Universe's mother, Gail Hawkins, said. ``I just wish I was there to give her a big cuddle. It's really hard to believe. I wonder if it's sunk in with her yet. I don't think she realises the attention she has gotten here.''

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