Miss Universe 2001 was the 50th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant, held at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón, Puerto Rico on May 11, 2001. The contest was won by Denise Quiñones of Puerto Rico who was crowned by Lara Dutta of India. This was Puerto Rico's fourth win in the history of the pageant.

Miss Universe 2001
Denise Quiñones
DateMay 11, 2001
Presenters
Entertainment
VenueColiseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
BroadcasterCBS
Entrants77
Placements10
Debuts
  • Slovenia
Withdrawals
  • Australia
  • Belize
  • Denmark
  • Great Britain
  • Guam
  • Hong Kong
  • Mauritius
  • Namibia
  • Saint Martin
Returns
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Curaçao
  • Nicaragua
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Turkey
  • United States Virgin Islands
WinnerDenise Quiñones
Puerto Rico
CongenialityNakera Simms, Bahamas
Best National CostumeKim Sa-rang, South Korea
PhotogenicDenise Quiñones, Puerto Rico
← 2000
2002 →

Contestants from seventy-seven countries competed in this pageant. The competition was hosted by Elle Macpherson and Naomi Campbell, Todd Newton acted as backstage correspondent, while Miss Universe 1997 provided commentary for the whole event. Ricky Martin and La Ley performed in this edition.

Background

Selection of participants

Seventy-seven countries and territories competed in the pageant. Three candidates were appointed to their position to replace the original winner.

Replacements

Poland was to be represented by the first runner-up of Miss Polonia, Malgorzata Rozniecka. Studies prevented her from attending, and the organization replaced her with Monika Gruda. The organization invited Miss Russia 2001, Oxana Fedorova, to attend the pageant, but she was unable to compete due to studies, but competed in 2002. She was replaced by first runner-up, Oxana Kalandyrets, who reached the top 10. Fedorova would go on to win the following year's Miss Universe pageant, only to be replaced with her runner-up four months later.[citation needed] Miss Spain 2001, Lorena van Heerde Ayala, was unable to compete as she was underage (17 at the time). She was replaced by first runner-up, Eva Sisó. Ayala was due to compete in Miss Universe 2002, but after the threat of lawsuit by her family against the Miss España Organization for breach of contract,[1] she cut all ties with the Miss España organization and lost the right to represent Spain at any international pageant.[2]

Debuts, returns, and withdrawals

This edition marked the debut of Slovenia;[3] and the returns of Antigua and Barbuda who last competed in 1979; and Curaçao, Nicaragua, the Northern Mariana Islands, Turkey, and the United States Virgin Islands who last competed in 1999.[4]

Controversies during the pageant

France, Élodie Gossuin was confirmed to be a woman by medical examination, when it was rumoured that she was a transsexual.[5][6][7]

Juliana Borges of Brazil admitted to the media that she had undergone plastic surgery nineteen times, stating "It's like studying for a math exam and you get good grades... you study and you work hard to have the perfect body". Despite a public outcry she was allowed to compete.[8]

Results

Placements

Placement Contestant
Winner
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up
3rd runner-up
4th runner-up
Top 10

Special awards

Award Winner
Miss Photogenic
Clairol Herbal Essences Style Award
Best in Swimsuit
Miss Congeniality
Best National Costume

Contestants

 
Countries and territories which sent delegates and results for Miss Universe 2001

Seventy-seven contestants competed for the title.

Country/Territory Contestant Age[a] Hometown
  Angola Hidianeth Cussema[11] 19 Cuíto
  Antigua and Barbuda Janil Bird[12] 22 St. John's
  Argentina Romina Incicco[13] 18 Buenos Aires
  Aruba Denise Balinge 21
  Bahamas Nakera Simms[14] 22
  Belgium Dina Tersago[15] 22 Puurs
  Bolivia Claudia Arano[16] 19 Santa Cruz de la Sierra
  Botswana Mataila Sikwane[17] 23 Gaborone
  Brazil Juliana Borges[18] 22 Santa Maria
  British Virgin Islands Kacy Frett 19
  Bulgaria Ivaila Bakalova[19] 19 Varna
  Canada Cristina Rémond[20] 20 Montreal
  Cayman Islands Jacqueline Bush 25 George Town
  Chile Carolina Gámez[21] 19 Santiago
  Colombia Andrea Nocetti[22] 23 Cartagena
  Costa Rica Paola Calderón[23] 20 Guanacaste
  Croatia Maja Cecić-Vidoš[24] 20 Rijeka
  Curaçao Fatima St. Jago 22 Willemstad
  Cyprus Stella Demetriou 21
  Czech Republic Petra Kocarova[25] 22 South Moravia
  Dominican Republic Claudia Cruz de los Santos[26] 18 San Juan
  Ecuador Jessica Bermudez[27] 23 Guayaquil
  Egypt Sarah Shaheen 19 Cairo
  El Salvador Grace Marie Zabaneh[28] 22
  Estonia Inna Roos[29] 19 Tallinn
  Finland Heidi Willman[30] 19 Jyväskylä
  France Élodie Gossuin[31] 20 Reims
  Germany Claudia Bechstein[32] 22 Thuringia
  Ghana Precious Agyare 18 Accra
  Greece Evelina Papantoniou 22 Athens
  Guatemala Rosa María Castañeda 20 Chiquimula
  Honduras Olenka Fuschich 21 Yoro
  Hungary Agnes Helbert 21
  India Celina Jaitly 21 Shimla
  Ireland Lesley Turner 19 Newport
  Israel Ilanit Levy 18 Rehovot
  Italy Stefania Maria 20 Lombardy
  Jamaica Zahra Burton 21 Kingston
  Japan Misao Arauchi 19 Aomori
  Lebanon Sandra Rizk[33] 19 Koura District
  Malaysia Tung Mei Chin 20 Kuantan
  Malta Rosalie Thewma 19 Birżebbuġa
  Mexico Jacqueline Bracamontes 21 Guadalajara
  Netherlands Reshma Roopram 22 South Holland
  New Zealand Kateao Nehua[34] 19 Ngātiwai
  Nicaragua Ligia Cristina Argüello 21 Managua
  Nigeria Agbani Darego 18 Lagos
  Northern Mariana Islands Janet King 24 Tinian
  Norway Linda Marshall 22 Buskerud
  Panama Ivette Cordovez 21 Panama City
  Paraguay Rosemary Brítez 21 Caazapá
  Peru Viviana Rivasplata 23 Lambayeque
  Philippines Zorayda Ruth Andam[35] 24 Baguio
  Poland Monika Gruda 19 Masovia
  Portugal Telma Santos 19 Lisbon
  Puerto Rico Denise Quiñones 20 Ponce
  Russia Oksana Kalandyrets 20 Khanty-Mansi
  Singapore Jaime Teo 24 Singapore
  Slovakia Zuzana Baštúrová 19 Revúca
  Slovenia Minka Alagič[3] 21 Maribor
  South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss 20 Cape Town
  South Korea Kim Sa-rang 23 Seoul
  Spain Eva Sisó 21 Soses
  Sweden Malin Olsson 19 Skattungbyn
  Switzerland Mahara McKay 19 Zurich
  Taiwan Hsin Ting Chiang 21 Taipei
  Thailand Varinthorn Phadoongvithee 24 Nonthaburi
  Trinidad and Tobago Alexia Charlerie 24 Tunapuna–Piarco
  Turkey Sedef Avcı 19 Adana
  Turks and Caicos Shereen Novie Gardiner 19
  Ukraine Yuliya Linova 23 Zaporizhzhia
  United States Kandace Krueger 24 Austin
  Uruguay Carla Piaggio 25 Montevideo
  United States Virgin Islands Lisa Hasseba Wynne 26
  Venezuela Eva Ekvall[36] 18 Caracas
  Yugoslavia Ana Janković 19
  Zimbabwe Tsungai Muswerakuenda 23 Harare

Notes

  1. ^ Ages at the time of the pageant

References

  1. ^ "Los padres de Lorena van Heerde denuncian a la organización de Miss España por impago". April 5, 2002. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "Lorena van Heerde: 'Aunque habían enviado mi documentación a Miss Universo, sabían que no pensaba ir'". April 11, 2002. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "To je nova Miss Universe Slovenije!" [It's the new Miss Universe Slovenia!]. 24UR (in Slovenian). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTROVERSY NMBPA sets the record straight". Saipan Tribune. October 29, 1999. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Could reigning Miss France be a monsieur?". April 25, 2001. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "Cyber-row as Miss France gets 'man' label". April 25, 2001. Archived from the original on June 7, 2003. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  7. ^ "Miss France may be Mister". Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  8. ^ "Miss Brazil's Plastic Surgery". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lindenauer, Andrew (May 12, 2001). "Puerto Rican Wins Miss Universe Crown". CBS News. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "Miss Puerto Rico most photogenic". News24. May 7, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "Angola: Hidianeth Wins Miss Angola 2001 Prize". Panafrican News Agency. December 18, 2000. Retrieved June 25, 2024 – via AllAfrica.
  12. ^ Hill, Eucelia (May 31, 2003). "When they were there". Sun Weekend. p. 8. Retrieved June 25, 2024 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "Stunning..." New Straits Times. April 27, 2001. p. 20. Retrieved June 25, 2024 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ Craig, Neil Alan (June 27, 2016). "Miss Universe Bahamas under new franchisee". The Bahamas Weekly. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "Erelijst Miss België". De Morgen (in Dutch). January 11, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  16. ^ "El título les dio alegrías, trabajo y fama que aún saborean" [The title gave them joy, work and fame that they still savor]. El Deber (in European Spanish). July 29, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "Botswana misses out on Miss Universe again". Weekend Post. January 9, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "Nipping, tucking their way to the top". Chron. March 28, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "5 Miss Bulgaria Winners with Joint Photo Session". Novinite. May 27, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  20. ^ "Photo: 50th Annual Miss Universe Competition". UPI. May 7, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "Carolina Gámez quiere protagonizar cinta "tipo Bim Bam Bum"" [Carolina Gámez wants to star in a "Bim Bam Bum" film]. Cooperativa.cl (in Spanish). June 3, 2004. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  22. ^ "Andrea Noceti recordó polémica en su reinado como Señorita Colombia, cuando un presentador bromeó con el narcotráfico". Infobae (in European Spanish). November 6, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  23. ^ "Paola, Miss Costa Rica". La Nación (in Spanish). October 22, 2000. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  24. ^ "Titula Miss Universe promijenila mi je život" [The Miss Universe title changed my life]. Vecernji list (in Croatian). March 2, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  25. ^ "Miss Kocarová bude mít holčičku" [Miss Kocarová will have a baby girl]. Blesk (in Czech). March 12, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  26. ^ "Photo: 50th Annual Miss Universe Competition". UPI. May 7, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  27. ^ "Jéssica Bermúdez alumbró con temas de Juanes y Plaza" [Jéssica Bermúdez illuminated with songs by Juanes and Plaza]. El Universo (in Spanish). January 30, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  28. ^ Meléndez, Carolina (May 6, 2021). "Jacqueline Bracamontes: "Comía pura pechuga con lechuga" para ser Miss México [+FOTOS]" [Jacqueline Bracamontes: “I ate pure brisket with lettuce” to be Miss Mexico [+PHOTOS]]. La Prensa Grafica (in Spanish). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  29. ^ "MISS ESTONIA 2001: Eesti kauneim on Inna Roos". Eesti Päevaleht. March 9, 2001. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  30. ^ Mattila, Mikael (November 4, 2023). "Podcast: Heidi Willman kertoo ikävistä oireista – näin käy erityisesti sängyssä" [Podcast: Heidi Willman talks about unpleasant symptoms - this happens especially in bed]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  31. ^ Halem, Dann (May 4, 2001). "There He Is … Miss Universe". Slate. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  32. ^ ""Miss Deutschland 2001": 22-Jährige aus Thüringen bekommt den Titel" ["Miss Deutschland 2001": 22-year-old from Thuringia wins the title]. Der Spiegel (in German). January 10, 2001. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  33. ^ "Miss Lebanon 2000 Announced". Al Bawaba. September 23, 2000. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  34. ^ "How a Māori beauty queen shunned Donald Trump". Māori Television. October 25, 2016. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  35. ^ Lo, Ricky (September 24, 2001). "Who will bring home the crown?". Philippine Star. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  36. ^ "Former Miss Venezuela dies of breast cancer at 28". Reuters. December 19, 2011. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.