Columbia’s Paulina Vega crowned Miss Universe

Miami, January 27

Paulina Vega, a 22-year-old student of business administration from Columbia, was crowned Miss Universe at a grand finale here yesterday after beating more than 80 contestants across the globe.

Vega has been a model since she was eight-year-old. She belongs to a big family, four sisters and three brothers. The model from Barranquilla is the granddaughter of legendary tenor Gaston Vega and 1953 Miss Atlantico, Elvira Castillo.

Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler of the Venezuela handed the tiara to her at the event watched by an audience of nearly 1 billion across the world.

This is the second win for Columbia in the last five decades. Luz Marina Zuluaga took home the title in 1956. Taking the runner-up positions this year is Miss USA, Nia Sanchez, Diana Harkusha from Ukraine, Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell, and Yasmin Verheijen from the Netherlands respectively. — PTI