Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Universe 2008

In the recent Miss Universe 2008 that was held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Dayana Mendoza (Miss Venezuela) emerged as the winner among the 80 contestants who competed in the event. Dayana Mendoza is already a crowd favorite during the early part of the competition and many already assumed that she will bring home the prestigious crown. Her winning answer to the question "What is the difference between men and women?" is this:

"Men think that the fastest way to go to a point is to go straight. Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves."

Actually, I find her answer a bit absurd but maybe it was the way that she answered the question that gained the approval of the judges.

Miss Universe Crowning Moment

The event was hosted by Jerry Springer, host of NBC's America's Got Talent, and Melanie Brown, member of the UK pop group Spice Girls. Of course the event will not be complete without a performer, for this year it was Lady Gaga who spiced up the stage with her single "Just Dance".

Miss Universe 2008 Opening - Delegates in National Costume

Another noticeable part of Miss Universe 2008 was when Crystle Stewart (Miss USA) slipped and fell down during the evening gown competition. If you'll recall, Miss USA Rachel Smith also fell butt-first during the Miss Universe 2007's evening gown competition. It was evidently a deja vu! But compared to Crystle Stewart, Rachel Smith was able to gain back her poise and just smile as if nothing happened.

Miss USA Crystle Stewart's stage slip (Miss Universe 2008)



Miss USA Rachel Smith's infamous stage slip (Miss Universe 2007)

Here is the final result of the competition.

Miss Universe 2008 - Dayana Mendoza (Miss Venezuela)
1st Runner-up - Taliana Vargas (Miss Colombia)
2nd Runner-up - Marianne Cruz (Miss Dominical Republic)
3rd Runner-up - Vera Krasova (Miss Russia)
4th Runner-up - Elisa Najera (Miss Mexico)

Miss Congeniality - Rebeca Moreno (Miss El Salvador)
Best in National Costume - Gavintra Photijak (Miss Thailand)

Unfortunately, none of my favorites had made it to the top 5 but I'm glad that at least Miss Japan Hiroko Mima managed to made it to the top 15 :-) Congratulations Miss Japan!