Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark has pulled off a historic upset to become the first Dane to triumph in the Miss Universe beauty contest. The 21-year-old, who threads a fine line between being a competitive dancer, an entrepreneur, and a lawyer-to-be, won the contest with more than 120 participants, who performed at the magnificent ceremony held in Mexico City on Saturday night.
The other contestants celebrated this moment as Theilvig claimed her prize, receiving the crown from the previous winner, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua. Robin Thicke performed as a singer in the final episode of 2024 and hosted Mario Lopez and Olivia Culpo, the former Miss Universe.
Miss Universe: The Path to Victory
The Miss Universe pageantry began with the elimination of 30 contestants after the initial show, and the pageant had a lively national costume show. The rest of the contestants performed their swimwear routine before doing the evening gown competition. The candidates had been selected down to twelve, and emerging to what seemed like the final stages; the five final contenders posed questions on leadership and perseverance.
Theilvig also managed to make the judges listen to her genuine view, and she said that if she could not be judged, she would not alter a thing in her life as she lives fully each day. Her message was to encourage the audience and keep striving for what they want to come to realization, and this can be irrespective of the background.
Notable Placements and Historical Changes
The first runner-up was Chidimma Adetshina from Nigeria, while the second runner-up was Maria Fernanda Beltran from Mexico. Suchata Chuangsri took the last two positions from Thailand, and Ileana Marquez Pedroza from Venezuela. Recently, the rules of this show opened up for the contestants to be age-restricted and allowed married women to join in. The Mexican 28-year-old single mother Pedroza rose to the top five.
Notably, for the first time, the pageant was open to women over 28 years, marking a drastic change in Miss Universe. This change also helped Malta’s Beatrice Njoya become the first woman in her 40s to advance to the finals. As a result, the Miss Universe Organization also changed its policy that banned pregnant women or mothers and those who have been married.
Other Concerns: Minority Involvement and Disputes
This year’s Miss Universe event was particularly remarkable because some countries, such as Cuba, Belarus, Eritrea, and the United Arab Emirates, unsuccessfully tried to enter the list of participants for the first time. However, there were also some difficulties before the event. Miss Universe South Africa experienced conflict when Adetshina decided to leave the contest due to xenophobic controversy over her identity.
There was also internal conflict in the Miss Universe Nicaragua competition because its director had to resign from his position due to accusations of treason. Still, the 2024 Miss Universe pageant can be considered a special event with history-making moments at the event’s innovation. Although some issues flared up in competition, they triumphantly proved that one has to move forward; it motivates people all around the globe.
Conclusion
The Miss Universe competition held in 2024 also brought into focus a change in color besides bringing in a new winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig. Held outside the club and minimizing traditional puritanical constraints, the event reflected the liberal approach embraced by the club, forgiving all women regardless of age and status. As the pageant goes on to newer heights, it still retains its beauty, talent, and empowered platform on the international platform.
