New Miss Universe crowned in El Salvador (VIDEO)
Nicaragua's contestant finished ahead of 83 rivals, including two transgender women
Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua was crowned Miss Universe at a ceremony in El Salvador on Saturday.
The 23-year-old beauty queen runs a charity which raises funds to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters in her home country.
Miss Universe Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios Swimsuit Competition
— MissMiss (@MissMiss1546642) November 16, 2023
Miss Universe 2023 Preliminary Competition????????#Missuniverse#MissUniverse2023#Mu2023#72ndMissUniverse#PreliminaryCompetition#SwimsuitCompetition pic.twitter.com/VQo2FjDF4G
The first runner-up was Anntonia Porsild of Thailand, followed by Moraya Wilson of Australia.
The organizers had changed the rules in an effort to make the competition more “inclusive,” allowing married women and mothers to participate for the first time.
This year’s pageant included two transgender contestants – Rikkie Kolle of the Netherlands and Marine Machete of Portugal. Machete finished among the Top-20 finalists.
READ MORE: Miss Russia faces transgender contestants at Miss Universe (PHOTOS)
Erica Robin was the first woman to represent Pakistan. She wore a pink ‘burkini’ during the swimsuit portion of the show.
Jane Dipika Garrett from Nepal, meanwhile, became the first plus-size model to compete for the title.