Miss Universe 2000

Miss Universe 2000 was the 49th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Eleftheria Indoor Hall in Nicosia, Cyprus on 12 May 2000.

At the end of the event, Mpule Kwelagobe of Botswana crowned Lara Dutta of India as Miss Universe 2000. It is the country's second victory in the pageant's history.

Contestants from seventy-nine countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The competition was hosted by Sinbad, with Miss USA 1996 Ali Landry and Julie Moran providing commentary and analysis throughout the event. Elvis Crespo, Dave Koz, Montell Jordan, and Anna Vissi performed in this year's pageant.

Background

Location and date

Nicosia was announced as host city of the pageant on 1 July 1999. The country invested $3.5 million in the event, in the hope that the publicity would increase tourism, the island's main industry.

Conservative Cypriot church leaders protested the decision to hold the pageant on the island, claiming that millennium celebrations of the birth of Christ were more important and that the event was scandalous and would promote female nudity.

Selection of participants

Seventy-nine countries and territories competed in the pageant. Four candidates were appointed to their position to replace the original winner.

Replacements

Miss Universe Hungary 2000 first runner-up Izabella Kiss replaced Miss Universe Hungary 2000 Ágnes Nagy as the representative of their country for personal reasons. Miss Italia 1999 Manila Nazzaro was slated to compete in this edition. However, the Miss Italia Organization lost their Miss Universe license due to objections of the Miss Universe Organization that the contest was opened to married women and mothers, and the license was transferred to Italian actress Clarissa Burt who organized the ''The Miss for Miss Universe'' contest which will select the new Italian representative to Miss Universe. Annalisa Guadalupi won the pageant. Miss Russia 1999 first runner-up Svetlana Goreva was appointed to represent Russia as Miss Russia 1999 Anna Kruglova is underage, and Miss Russia 1997–1998 Yelena Rogozhina won the Miss Europe 1999 contest.

Initially, Miss Venezuela 1999 Martina Thorogood was chosen to represent their country at both Miss Universe and Miss World 1999. However, Miss Universe officials objected to this as Thorogood placed first runner-up at Miss World 1999 and there was a chance that she could become Miss World should the winner resign or lose her crown. Miss Universe officials also objected the participation of Miss Venezuela 1999 first runner-up Norkys Batista because she was not the national official titleholder. Finally, a smaller pageant was held among delegates who had competed in previous Miss Venezuela competitions, and Claudia Moreno was chosen to compete at Miss Universe.

Results

Placements

Special awards

Pageant

Selection committee

Final telecast

Source:
* Tony Robbins
* Catherine Bell
* André Leon Talley
* Kim Alexis
* Cristián de la Fuente
* Debbie Allen
* Serena Altschul

Contestants

Seventy-nine contestants competed for the title.

Notes

Withdrawals

* – Simone Smrekar.
* – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship.
* – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship Until 2003.
* – Miss Cook Islands 1999 and Miss South Pacific 1999, Liana Scott did not compete due to lack of Sponsorship.
* – Miss Curaçao 2000, Jozaïne Wall, couldn't participate because she was underage. Jozaïne successfully sued the Miss Curaçao organization due to this issue and went to Miss World 2000 instead.
* – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship.
* – No contest due to lack of Sponsorship.
* – Miss Northern Marianas International 1999, Michelle Boyer Sablan did not participate for undisclosed reasons.
* – No contest held and they lost their Miss Universe licence.
* – Miss Turkey 2000, 1° Runner up Gamze Özçelik was replaced by Cansu Dere because Özçelik was underage at the time, but Cansu Dere was forbidden by the Turkish Government to travel to the Miss Universe 2000 pageant in Cyprus, due to the current tense Turkish-Cypriot relationships over Northern Cyprus.
* – No contest.
* – Sidonia Mwape – Due to lack of Sponsorship.

Returns

Last competed in 1982
*

Last competed in 1996
*

Last competed in 1998
*
*
*
*
*

References

External links

Miss Universe official website

{{Miss Universe 2000 delegates

2000
2000 in Cyprus
2000 beauty pageants
Beauty pageants in Cyprus
Culture in Nicosia
May 2000 in Europe