Mendoza, 178-centimetre (5′ 10″) beauty, clinched the diamond-studded gold crown after answering a question on the difference between men and women.
“Men think that the fastest way to go to a point is to go straight,” explained the trilingual contestant from Amazonas state. “Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves.”
Mendoza’s Venezuela is a “pageant superpower” with 4 previous Miss Universe and 5 Miss World winners. (Read more about her in Wikipedia and official Miss Universe site)
Final result:
- First runner-up: Miss Colombia
- Second runner-up: Miss Dominican Republic
- Third runner-up: Miss Russia
- Fourth runner-up: Miss Mexico
- Miss Friendly: Miss El Salvador
- Best traditional costume: Miss Thailand
Miss Venezuela, 22, 1.76m, owns ideal measurements, 85-58-89. She previously entered the top ten traditional costumes and the queen of ao dai.
The first runner-up, Taliana Vargas, was successful in both traditional costume and swimwear shows. Her fresh beauty grasped the lens of many photographers. The 20-year-old girl loves travel, dancing, sports and chatting with her family members.
The second runner-up, Marianne Cruz, 23, was also among top ten contestants in traditional costumes.
The three top beauties, all Latin American, were chosen from the top five girls, who took part in the interview round, including the three above girls, Miss Russia and Miss Mexico.
The top 15 beauties include Miss Venezuela, Miss Kosovo, Miss Vietnam, Miss South Africa, Miss Australia, Miss Japan, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Italy, Miss Colombia, Miss Russia, Miss Hungary, Miss Czech Republic, Miss USA, and Miss Spain.