Thursday, May 31, 2007

More About Miss Riyo Mori, Miss Universe 2007


Riyo Mori was born in Shizuoka, a small city in Japan situated beside Mt. Fuji. Shizuoka has a population of just over 0.7 million In this city, Riyo Mori spent her days with her parents, grandparents and her younger brother. Her mother had and still has a dance school and Riyo Mori got influenced by her mother from a very early age. It was her grandmother who dreamt that Riyo Mori would someday win the title of Miss Japan 2007. Mori began dancing at the age of 4. She has studied at Quinte Ballet School of Canada and also is a graduate of Centennial Secondary School in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.

She was crowned Miss Universe, becoming the second woman from Japan to hold the title. The first Miss Universe winner from Japan was Akiko Kojima in 1959. Mori is the eighth Asian woman to win the pageant, the most recent being Lara Dutta of India who was Miss Universe 2000. Mori was the third Japanese woman to place in the top five at Miss Universe in the past five years. Miyako Miyazaki placed fourth runner-up at Miss Universe 2003, and Mori's predecessor Kurara Chibana was first runner-up in 2006.

The other results of the prestigious Miss Universe Pageant held in Mexico City on May 28, 2007 where the following:

First Runner Up: Miss Brazil, Natalia Guimaraes will assume the duties of MISS UNIVERSE 2007 if the titleholder for some reason cannot fulfill her responsibilities.

Second Runner Up: Miss Venezuela, Ly Jonaitis

Rest of Top Five: Miss Korea, Honey Lee; and Miss USA, Rachel Smith.

Rest of Top Ten: Miss India, Puja Gupta; Miss Angola, Micaela Reis; Miss Tanzania, Flaviana Matata; Miss Nicaragua, Xiomara Blandino; and Miss Mexico, Rosa Maria Ojeda Cuen.

Rest of Top Fifteen: Miss Thailand, Farung Yuthithum; Miss Denmark, Zak lina; Sojic; Miss Slovenia, Tjasa Kokalj; Miss Ukraine, Lyudmyla Bikmullina; and Miss Czech Republic, Lucie Hadasova.

Miss Photogenic Award: Miss Philippines, Anna Theresa Licaros. The general public voted on www.nbc.com for the delegate who exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera. She received a $1,000 cash prize and a trophy from Rogaska Crystal.

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