MISS
RUSSIA, OXANA FEDOROVA, CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE® 2002
DURING LIVE CBS TELECAST ON MAY 29, 2002
San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 29, 2002 –This
evening, during one of the year’s most exciting live television
events, a panel of distinguished judges chose Oxana Fedorova, Miss
Russia 2002, as MISS UNIVERSE® 2002.
The 24-year-old delegate from Russia was crowned at the conclusion
of the 51st broadcast on the CBS Television Network from the Roberto
Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Oxana Fedorova is the
first Miss Universe to wear the newly designed Mikimoto crown, which
was created specifically for the Miss Universe Organization and
their titleholders. The exclusive crown showcases pearls cultivated
by the world-renowned Mikimoto, official jewelry sponsor of the
Miss Universe Organization.
The live telecast was hosted by actress and model Daisy
Fuentes and former NFL great Phil Simms.
MISS UNIVERSE 2002 opened with a cutting-edge music video introduction
of the 75 delegates vying for the coveted MISS UNIVERSE title. The
telecast panel of judges was comprised of R&B singer and Guess
model Tyrese, Fashion Designer Nicole Miller,
Men’s Fashion Designer Amir, CBS Family Law’s
Christopher McDonald, Chinese entrepreneur Yue-Sai
Kan, Model Tatjana Patitz, NFL’s
offensive MVP Marshall Faulk, Marisol Malaret
Miss Universe 1970, and Survivor Africa winner Ethan
Zohn.
Throughout the two-hour event, the delegates competed in three categories,
including swimsuit, evening gown and interview. During these competitions,
highlighted with performances by Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award winning
Latin superstar Marc Anthony, the “Top Five”
finalists were selected before the crowning.
Final Results:
First Runner Up: Justine Pasek, Miss Panama will
assume the duties of MISS UNIVERSE 2002 if the titleholder for some
reason cannot fulfill her responsibilities.
Second Runner Up: Ling Zhuo, Miss China
Rest of Top Five: Vanessa Carreira, South Africa
and Cynthia Lander Zamora, Venezuela
Rest of Top Ten: Neelam Verma, Miss Canada; Demetra
Eleftheriou, Miss Cyprus; Natascha Borger, Miss Germany; Neha Dhupia,
Miss India; and
Anisa Kospiri, Miss Albania
Miss Photogenic Universe™ Award: Isis Marie Casaladuc, Miss Puerto
Rico 2002. The general public voted on the MISS UNIVERSE website,
www.missuniverse.com, for the delegate who exemplifies beauty through
the lens of a camera.
Miss Congeniality Universe™ Award: Merlisa Rhonda George, Miss
US Virgin Islands 2002. The award reflects the respect and admiration
of the delegate’s peers, who voted for her as the most congenial,
charismatic and inspirational participant.
Bluepoint Apparel Swimsuit and Fitness Award: Oxana
Fedorova, Miss Russia 2002 named winner of this award during the
live telecast. This award was determined by the delegate, in the
top ten, who scored the most points by the judges.
National Costume: Vanessa Mendoza, Miss Colombia
2002, was named, during the National Costume Show, the winner of
the national costume award for her sense of style, creativity and
overall representation of her country.
Sponsors of MISS UNIVERSE ® 2002 include The School for Film
and Television; Bluepoint Apparel, “Official Swimsuit;”
Mikimoto, “Official Crown and Tiara;” Hoya Crystal,
“Official Crystal;” Maurice Lacroix, “Official
Watch;” Arpeggio International Cosmetics, “Official
Cosmetics;” Tadashi, “Official Designer Apparel;”
and Stuart Weitzman, “Official Fashion Footwear.”
The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the MISS UNIVERSE®,
MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® competitions, is a Donald J.
Trump and CBS partnership. Utilizing its global grass roots infrastructure,
the Miss Universe Organization is committed to increasing HIV/AIDS
Awareness and women's health and reproductive issues. By forging
relationships with organizations committed to research and education,
such as the Harvard AIDS Institute and the United Nations Population
Fund's Face-to-Face Campaign, Miss Universe is armed to impact women
today.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Mary Hilliard Harrington/Esther Swan
The Miss Universe Organization
(212) 373-4982/(212) 373-4870
Dara Arbeiter/ Brad Zeifman
Rubenstein Public Relations
(212) 843-8079/ (212) 843-9285