# Miss Universe 1993

Miss Universe 1993 was the 42nd Miss Universe pageant, held on 21 May 1993 at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, Mexico. At the event's conclusion, Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico was crowned Miss Universe by outgoing titleholder Michelle McLean of Namibia. Seventy-nine contestants competed in the pageant.
The pageant was hosted by Dick Clark for the fourth and final time, with commentary from former Miss Universe titleholders Cecilia Bolocco (1987) and Angela Visser (1989).
This was the third time the pageant was held in Mexico, two years after Lupita Jones won Mexico's first Miss Universe title in 1991. In the weeks prior to the final telecast, the contestants visited Campeche, Oaxaca, Zacatecas, Querétaro and the Mexican borough of Xochimilco for official events and sightseeing.

## Background
### Location and date

On 13 July 1992, Miss Universe Inc. and Canal 13 Mexico director Romeo Flores announced that this edition would happen at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. The hosting of Miss Universe in Mexico is supported by the then-president of Mexico, Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Aside from Mexico City, the candidates also visited the states of Campeche, Oaxaca, Zacatecas, Querétaro, and the borough of Xochimilco for official activities before the final competition.
A few days before the final competition, the president of the Miss Mexico Organization, Carlos Guerrero, announced that Miss Universe would be held in Mexico again in 1995. Negotiations did not push through, and the competition occurred in Namibia, the first African country to host Miss Universe. Miss Universe was held again in Mexico in 2007.

### Selection of participants

Contestants from seventy-nine countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. One contestant was selected to replace the original dethroned winner.

#### Replacements

The winner of Eesti Miss Estonia 1993, Lilia Üksvärav was replaced due to being underage. Her first runner up – Kersti Tänavsuu – made the first ever debut of Estonia at Miss Universe pageant. The winner of Miss Italia 1992, Gloria Zanin was also replaced due to being underage by Elisa Jacassi who competed against her at Miss Italia 1992 representing Liguria and got unplaced. Miss Poland 1992, Ewa Wachowicz was supossed to compete at Miss Universe 1993, but however her victory at World Miss University 1993 in Korea in early that year prevented her to compete due contractal duties. She was remplaced by Fourth Runner up of Miss Poland 1992 pageant, Marzenna Wolska.

#### Debuts, returns and withdrawals

This edition marked the debuts of the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Swaziland; and the returns of Belize, Ghana, Hong Kong, Italy, and Trinidad and Tobago, all of which last competed in 1991. Pavlína Babůrková of the Czech Republic was originally crowned as Miss Czechoslovakia 1992, but after the split of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Babůrková represented the Czech Republic.
Yuliya Etina of the Commonwealth of Independent States (From Russia) withdrew from the pageant due to undisclosed reasons, just a few days after arriving in Mexico. The countries that form the Commonwealth of Independent States eventually competed separately beginning in 1994.
Zambia supossed to debuting at MU 1993 with their Miss Zambia 1992, Elizabeth Mwanza, but she couldn't arrive in Mexico due Problems with the issuance of its Mexican visa on time. Indira Sudiro of Indonesia was supossed to compete in this edition, but she withdrew due to controversies surrounded her participation in the pageant, she attended the Miss Universe 1993 as Observer.
Gibraltar intended to return to Miss Universe for a third attempt with its Miss Gibraltar 1992, Michelle Torres, but like her predecessors she was underage before 1 February, was disqualified and the Miss Gibraltar Organisation lost the Miss Universe franchise until 2024 when they held a separate pageant for Miss Universe.
Kellie Hall of Bermuda, Nkirote Karimi M’Mbijjiwe of Kenya, Karin Majtanova of Slovak Republic and Virginia Wei-Yen Long from Republic of China withdrew due lack of founds & sponsorships. The Cook Islands & Egypt delayed their national pageants until after Miss Universe 1993.
Ukraine tried for second time to debut at Miss Universe 1993 first with Oksana Sokhatska, a winner of the Miss Ukraine 1992 contest held in November by another organization. Upon MUO realizing in that Ukraininian organization wasn't the veridic Miss Ukraine organization, disqualifed Oksana and they contacted the legit Ukrainian Pageant Organization and they appointed Olena Khomenko first-vice Miss Ukraine 93' for competing in Mexico, but due lack of fonds & visa issue, at the end she didn't participated.

### Incidents during the competition

The pageant was marred by booing from the crowd following the failure of the Mexican delegate, Angelina González, to advance to the top 10 of the national costume competition or the finals as one of the top 10 semifinalists. This was particularly directed towards Kenya Moore of the US, the country that owns the Miss Universe Organization. During the judges' introduction, booing increased especially after Mexican judges José Luis Cuevas and Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones were introduced to the audience who held them responsible for Miss Mexico's non-placement.
This continued throughout the first two events of the night: the swimsuit and interview competition. The audience at National Auditorium only calmed down after the musical number with Michelle McLean and the delegates sang and danced to "Get on Your Feet" . Generalized booing stopped and the competition continued with the evening gown event, the judges' questions, the final question and the crowning, without major incident.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss Universe 1993 | Puerto Rico – Dayanara Torres |
| 1st runner-up | Colombia – Paula Andrea Betancur |
| 2nd runner-up | Venezuela – Milka Chulina |
| Top 6 | Australia – Yvonne Voni Delfos  India – Namrata Shirodkar  United States – Kenya Moore |
| Top 10 | Brazil – Leila Cristine Schuster  Czech Republic – Pavlina Barbukova  Finland – Tarja Smura  Spain – Eugenia Santana |

### Special awards

| Award | Winner |
| Miss Photogenic | Spain – Eugenia Santana |
| Miss Congeniality | Ghana – Jamila Danzuru |

#### Best National Costume

| Award | Winner |
| Best National Costume | Norway – Ine Beate Strand |
| 1st runner-up | Lebanon – Samaya Chadrawi |
| 2nd runner-up | Turkey – Ipek Gumusoglu |

## Contestants

Seventy-nine contestants competed for the title.
| Country/Territory | Contestant | Age | Hometown |
| Argentina | Alicia Andrea Ramón | 19 | Resistencia |
| Aruba | Dyane Escalona | 19 | Oranjestad |
| Australia | Yvonne Voni Delfos | 18 | Brisbane |
| Austria | Rosemary Bruckner | 21 | Vienna |
| Bahamas | Marietta Ricina Sands | 24 | Nassau |
| Belgium | Sandra Joine | 24 | Antwerp |
| Belize | Melanie Smith | 20 | Belize City |
| Bolivia | Roxana Arias | 19 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
| Brazil | Leila Schuster | 21 | São Paulo |
| British Virgin Islands | Rhonda Hodge | 19 | Road Town |
| Bulgaria | Lilia Koeva | 18 | Sofia |
| Canada | Nancy Ann Elder | 21 | Calgary |
| Cayman Islands | Pamela Ebanks | 19 | George Town |
| Chile | Savka Pollak | 19 | Santiago |
| Colombia | Paula Andrea Betancur | 21 | Leticia |
| Costa Rica | Catalina Rodriguez | 19 | Heredia |
| Curaçao | Elsa Roozendal | 19 | Willemstad |
| Cyprus | Photini Spyridonos | 19 | Larnaca |
| Czech Republic | Pavlína Babůrková | 19 | Nový Bor |
| Denmark | Maria Hirse | 21 | Copenhagen |
| Dominican Republic | Odalisse Rodriguez | 21 | Santo Domingo |
| Ecuador | Arianna Mandini Klein | 19 | Guayaquil |
| El Salvador | Katherine Mendez | 20 | San Salvador |
| Estonia | Kersti Tänavsuu | 20 | Tallinn |
| Finland | Tarja Smura | 22 | Helsinki |
| France | Veronique de la Cruz | 18 | Guadeloupe |
| Germany | Verona Feldbusch | 25 | Hamburg |
| Ghana | Jamila Haruna Danzuru | 25 | Kumasi |
| Great Britain | Kathryn Middleton | 24 | Chesterfield |
| Greece | Kristina Manoussi | 21 | Athens |
| Guam | Charlene Gumataotao | 21 | Hågat |
| Guatemala | Diana Galván | 19 | Guatemala City |
| Honduras | Denia Reyes | 18 | La Ceiba |
| Hong Kong | Emily Lo | 19 | Hong Kong |
| Hungary | Zsanna Pardy | 20 | Balatonfüred |
| Iceland | Maria Run Haflidadóttir | 20 | Reykjavík |
| India | Namrata Shirodkar | 22 | Bombay |
| Ireland | Sharon Ellis | 22 | Cork |
| Israel | Yana Khodyrker | 20 | Rehovot |
| Italy | Elisa Jacassi | 21 | Vercelli |
| Jamaica | Rachel Stuart | 20 | Kingston |
| Japan | Yukiko Shiki | 24 | Takarazuka |
| Lebanon | Samaya Chadrawi | 19 | Jounieh |
| Luxembourg | Nathalie dos Santos | 18 | Luxembourg |
| Malaysia | Lucy Narayanasamy | 18 | Banting |
| Malta | Roberta Borg | 18 | Qormi |
| Mauritius | Danielle Pascal | 26 | Port Louis |
| Mexico | Angelina González | 18 | Campeche |
| Namibia | Anja Schroder | 23 | Windhoek |
| Netherlands | Angelique van Zalen | 22 | Heemstede |
| New Zealand | Karly Kinnaird | 19 | Auckland |
| Nicaragua | Luisa Urcuyo | 18 | Managua |
| Nigeria | Rhihole Gbinigie | 19 | Lagos |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Victoria Todela | 20 | Saipan |
| Norway | Ine Beate Strand | 21 | Buskerud |
| Panama | Giselle González | 20 | Santiago de Veraguas |
| Paraguay | Carolina Barrios | 18 | Encarnación |
| Peru | Déborah de Souza-Peixoto | 24 | Lima |
| Philippines | Melinda Joanna Gallardo | 22 | Manila |
| Poland | Marzena Wolska | 23 | Warsaw |
| Portugal | Marisa Cruz | 18 | Lisbon |
| Puerto Rico | Dayanara Torres | 18 | Toa Alta |
| Romania | Angelica Nicoara | 20 | Lipova |
| Singapore | Renagah Devi | 23 | Singapore |
| South Korea | Yoo Ha-young | 18 | Seoul |
| Spain | Eugenia Santana | 19 | Las Palmas |
| Sri Lanka | Chamila Wickramesinghe | 21 | Colombo |
| Suriname | Jean Zhang | 18 | Paramaribo |
| Swaziland | Danila Faias | 18 | Manzini |
| Sweden | Johanna Lind | 21 | Åtvidaberg |
| Switzerland | Valérie Bovard | 21 | Vaud |
| Thailand | Chattharika Ubolsiri | 21 | Bangkok |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Rachel Charles | 19 | Tobago |
| Turkey | Ipek Gumusoglu | 21 | Istanbul |
| Turks and Caicos | Michelle Mills | 22 | Grand Turk |
| United States | Kenya Moore | 22 | Detroit |
| United States Virgin Islands | Cheryl Simpson | 19 | Saint Croix |
| Uruguay | María Fernanda Navarro | 19 | Montevideo |
| Venezuela | Milka Chulina | 19 | Maracay |