Miss Universe 2006

Miss Universe 2006 was the 55th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States on July 23, 2006.[1]

Miss Universe 2006
Miss Universe 2006, Zuleyka Rivera
DateJuly 23, 2006
Presenters
Entertainment
VenueShrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Broadcaster
Entrants86
Placements20
Debuts
Withdrawals
Returns
WinnerZuleyka Rivera
 Puerto Rico
CongenialityAngela Asare
 Ghana
Best National CostumeKurara Chibana
 Japan
PhotogenicLia Andrea Ramos
 Philippines

At the end of the event, Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico as Miss Universe 2006. It is Puerto Rico's fifth victory in the pageant's history. After the show, Rivera passed out but quickly recovered.[2][3]

Contestants from 86 countries and territories competed in this year's pageant, surpassing the previous record of 84 contestants in 1999. The pageant was hosted by Carlos Ponce and Nancy O'Dell, with Queer Eye's Carson Kressley and Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey providing commentary and analysis throughout the event.[4] American singer-rapper Chelo and Italian operatic tenor Vittorio Grigolo performed in this year's pageant.[5]

Background
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, venue for Miss Universe 2006

Location and date

Due to the lack of interest of several cities from hosting the pageant, the Miss Universe Organization decided to hold the pageant in July instead of May. The Miss Universe Organization confirmed that the 2006 edition will be held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 2006. It is the first time in eight years that pageant took place in the United States. The last time that the United States hosted the pageant was in 1998 in Honolulu, Hawaii.[6][7]

Selection of participants

Contestants from 86 countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. One delegate was appointed to her position after being a runner-up of her national pageant, while another was selected to replace the original dethroned winner.

Gao Ying Hui, the first runner-up of Miss Universe China 2006, was appointed to represent China at Miss Universe after Qi Fang, Miss Universe China 2006, was dethroned after violating the rules in her contract.[8]

The 2006 edition saw the debut of Kazakhstan, and the returns of Argentina, the Cayman Islands, Estonia, Ghana, Iceland, New Zealand, the Northern Mariana Islands, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, and Sweden. Saint Lucia last competed in 1977, Iceland last competed in 1997, Sint Maarten last competed in 2000, the Northern Mariana Islands last competed in 2002, Argentina and New Zealand last competed in 2003, while the others last competed in 2004. Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, and Vietnam withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.

Silva Shahakian of Iraq was set to compete at Miss Universe. However, Shahakian withdrew after hiding from Islamic militants who reportedly threatened to kill her along with other contestants who competed in the Miss Iraq pageant.[9]

Results
Miss Universe 2006 participating countries and territories.

Placements
Placement[10] Contestant
Miss Universe 2006
1st Runner-Up
2nd Runner-Up
3rd Runner-Up
4th Runner-Up
Top 10
Top 20

Special awards
Award[11] Contestant
Miss Congeniality
Miss Photogenic
Best National Costume

Pageant

Format

The Miss Universe Organization introduced several specific changes to the format for this edition. The number of semifinalists was increased to 20 instead of the traditional 15. This is due to the host city not paying for the promotion, which spared the telecast by seven minutes. 20 semifinalists were chosen through the preliminary competition— composed of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions and closed-door interviews. The top 20 competed in the swimsuit competition and were narrowed down to the top 10 afterward. The top 10 competed in the evening gown competition and were narrowed down to the top 5 afterward.[12][13]

Final telecast

Note: Actress Bo Derek was scheduled to be a judge but was later replaced.[14]

Contestants
Top 5 at Miss Universe 2006

86 contestants competed for the title.

Country/Territory Contestant Age[lower-alpha 1] Hometown
Albania Eralda Hitaj 19 Tirana
Angola Isménia Júnior 22 Cabinda
Antigua and Barbuda Shari McEwan 18 Ottos
Argentina Magalí Romitelli[15] 18 Villa María
Aruba Melissa Laclé 20 Santa Cruz
Australia Erin McNaught[16] 24 Brisbane
Bahamas Samantha Carter 24 Nassau
Belgium Tatiana Silva[17] 21 Brussels
Bolivia Desiree Durán[18] 20 Santa Cruz
Brazil Rafaela Zanella[19] 19 Santa Maria
Bulgaria Galena Dimova[20] 24 Sofia
Canada Alice Panikian[21] 20 Toronto
Cayman Islands Ambuyah Ebanks[22] 21 West Bay
Chile Belén Montilla[23] 23 Santiago
China Gao Ying Hui[24] 23 Harbin
Colombia Valerie Domínguez[25] 25 Barranquilla
Costa Rica Fabriella Quesada[26] 22 Ciudad Colón
Croatia Biljana Mančić[27] 20 Split
Cyprus Elena Ierodiakonou 22 Kalymnos
Czech Republic Renata Langmannová[28] 19 Ivanovice na Hané
Denmark Betina Faurbye[29] 24 Copenhagen
Dominican Republic Mía Taveras[30] 20 Santo Domingo
Ecuador Catalina López[31] 23 Guayaquil
Egypt Fawzia Mohamed 23 Cairo
El Salvador Rebeca Iraheta[32] 18 San Salvador
Estonia Kirke Klemmer[33] 22 Tallinn
Ethiopia Dina Fekadu[34] 21 Wollega
Finland Ninni Laaksonen[35] 20 Helsinki
France Alexandra Rosenfeld[36] 19 Languedoc
Georgia Ekaterine Buadze[37] 20 Tbilisi
Germany Natalie Ackermann[14] 26 Wesel
Ghana Angela Asare[38] 20 Accra
Greece Olympia Chopsonidou 23 Thessaloniki
Guatemala Jackelinne Piccinini[39] 22 Mazatenango
Guyana Alana Ernest[40] 19 Mahdia
Hungary Adrienn Bende[41] 21 Budapest
Iceland Sif Aradóttir[42] 21 Keflavík
India Neha Kapur[43] 23 New Delhi
Indonesia Nadine Chandrawinata[44] 21 Jakarta
Ireland Melanie Boreham[45] 19 Drumbeg
Israel Anastacia Entin[46] 21 Tel Aviv
Jamaica Cindy Wright[47] 20 Stony Hill
Japan Kurara Chibana[48] 24 Naha
Kazakhstan Dina Nuraliyeva[37] 21 Shymkent
Latvia Sanita Kubliņa[49] 22 Sigulda
Lebanon Gabrielle Bou Rached[46] 20 Beirut
Malaysia Melissa Ann Tan[50] 25 Petaling Jaya
Mauritius Isabelle Antoo[51] 25 Beau Bassin-Rose Hill
Mexico Priscila Perales[52] 23 Monterrey
Namibia Anna Nashandi[53] 22 Windhoek
New Zealand Elizabeth Gray[54] 23 Auckland
Nicaragua Cristiana Frixione[55] 22 Managua
Nigeria Tienepre Oki[56] 21 Warri
Northern Mariana Islands Shequita Bennett[57] 19 Kagman
Norway Martine Jonassen[58] 19 Tjøme
Panama María Alessandra Mezquita[59] 22 Panama City
Paraguay Lourdes Arévalos[60] 22 San Lorenzo
Peru Fiorella Viñas[61] 22 Lima
Philippines Lia Andrea Ramos[62] 25 Davao City
Poland Francys Sudnicka[63] 26 Masovia
Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera[64] 18 Salinas
Russia Anna Litvinova[65] 24 Kemerovo Oblast
Saint Lucia Sascha Andrew-Rose 20 Rodney Bay
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Shivern Peters[66] 21 Bequia
Serbia and Montenegro[lower-alpha 2] Nada Milinić 18 Tivat
Singapore Carol Cheong[67] 25 Singapore
Sint Maarten Gisella Hilliman 19 South Reward Hill
Slovakia Judita Hrubyová[68] 20 Bardejov
Slovenia Nataša Pinoza[69] 22 Sevnica
South Africa Nokuthula Sithole[70] 22 Gauteng
South Korea Kim Joo-hee[71] 25 Seoul
Spain Elisabeth Reyes[39] 21 Málaga
Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez[72] 20 Colombo
Sweden Josephine Alhanko[73] 25 Stockholm
Switzerland Lauriane Gilliéron[74] 21 Prilly
Thailand Charm Osathanond 19 Nonthaburi
Trinidad and Tobago Kenisha Thom[75] 22 Tunapuna–Piarco
Turkey Ceyla Kirazlı[76] 20 İzmir
Turks and Caicos Shaveena Been[77] 24 Grand Turk
Ukraine Inna Tsymbalyuk[78] 21 Chernivtsi
United Kingdom Julie Doherty 18 Manchester
United States Tara Conner[79] 20 Russell Springs
Uruguay Fatimih Dávila[80] 18 La Cormilla
US Virgin Islands JeT'aime Cerge 22 Saint Thomas
Venezuela Jictzad Viña[81] 23 Carúpano
Zambia Mofya Chisenga[82] 23 Mufulira

Notes
  1. Ages at the time of the pageant
  2. On 3 June 2006, the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro dissolved, with Serbia and Montenegro becoming separate countries. However, they still competed as a single country.

References
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