Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua crowned Miss Universe 2023!
Make way for Miss Universe 2023! The beauty pageant, replete with glitter, glamor, and extravagance, has concluded at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador, with Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua winning the coveted title. She was crowned by her predecessor, Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel of the United States. This was the 72nd edition of the globally famous Miss Universe pageant.
Check the winning moment here
Know more about her earlier wins, education
Palacios has reportedly become the first Nicaraguan woman to bag the beauty crown and was competing with contestants from 83 other countries! Her previous wins include Miss World Nicaragua in 2020 and Miss Nicaragua in 2023, among others. Per reports, the 23-year-old holds a degree in mass communication from Central American University, Managua, and has also been a volleyball player at the university.
This was final question she was asked
The final question Palacios was asked was this, "If you could live one year in another woman's shoes, who would you choose and why?" She replied, "I would choose Mary Watson-Brad because she opened the gap and gave an opportunity to many women. I would want that gap to open up so that more women could work in any area [they choose to]."
Runner-ups, their answers to aforementioned question
Thailand's Anntonia Porsild was the first runner-up who replied to the aforementioned equation, saying she would step into Malala Yousafzai's shoes because she "knows the struggles she had to go through to be where she is today." The second runner-up, Moraya Wilson from Australia, said she would like to "live [her] mother's year in her birth year because she is a very strong woman."
Palacios is known for being vocal about mental health
Being vocal about mental health, Palacios recently told former Miss Universe Andrea Meza, "There are also moments where we are human beings... We have many emotions involved." "We have the responsibility to represent our country... It is like a very big responsibility, and it is not far from at some point to feel bad and feel like you are short of breath," she added.
India's hopes were with Shweta Sharda
Meanwhile, India's hopes were with Miss Diva Universe 2023 Shweta Sharda. However, she couldn't make it to the pageant's top 10. Hailing from Chandigarh, Sharda later moved to Mumbai at 16 to make it big in the dancing/choreography world. She has been part of shows such as Dance+, Dance Deewane, and Dance India Dance. She also participated in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa as a choreographer.
