Contestants from 88 countries were represented at the Miss Universe pageant in Miami, Florida on Sunday night.
Vega is a 22-year old student of business administration from Barranquilla, Colombia and is the granddaughter of legendary tenor Gaston Vega. The world’s most beautiful woman said the pageant was the first beauty contest she has ever participated in and it will be her last one as well, as Vega is eager to return to her studies, according to Washington Times.
“It is amazing,” Vega said about her new sapphire-studded, $300,000 crown, as cited by Miami Herald. “It’s very new, very modern, it’s very different. I will wear it with pride and excitement.”
Paulina Vega from Colombia is crowned Miss Universe 2014! http://t.co/8UUplK47DK
— Paulina Vega (@MissUniverse) 26 января 2015
The 24-year old Miss USA from Las Vegas, Nevada was the runner up, while Diana Harkusha of Ukraine was the second runner-up. Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell and Miss Netherlands Yasmin Verheijen were the other two ladies that made into the Top Five, passing into the final stage from a total of 88 contestants, the Las Vegas Sun reports.
For the contestants, the coronation concluded three weeks of preparation for the pageant, participating in parades, attending photo shoots and visiting local attractions in Miami, Miami Herald reports.
