Miss Universe 2003

Miss Universe 2003
Date:	June 6, 2003
Presenters:	Billy Bush and Daisy Fuentes
Entertainment:	bond and Chayanne
Venue:	Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama
Broadcaster:	NBC
Entrants:	71
Placements:	15
Debuts:	Serbia & Montenegro
Withdraws:	British Virgin Islands, Chile, Ghana, Honduras, Iceland, Kenya, Northern Marianas, Portugal, Uruguay, U. S. Virgin Islands
Returns:	Barbados, Belize, New Zealand, Taiwan,
Winner:	Amelia Vega
Represented:	Dominican Republic
Congeniality:	Kai Davis Antigua and Barbuda
Photogenic:	Carla Tricoli Puerto Rico

The Miss Universe 2003 Pageant was held in Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. 71 delegates from around the world who competed for the Miss Universe title.

At the conclusion of the final competition Miss Dominican Republic Universe Amelia Vega was crowned Miss Universe 2003 by Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek of Panama. She was the first woman from her country to win the title.

Panama hosted the pageant for the second time. In 1986, Miss Universe 1986 was held at ATLAPA Convention Center in Panama City.

[edit] Results

The Miss Universe title was won by Amelia Vega of Dominican Republic.
The runners-up were:
- 1st runner-up - Mariangel Ruiz (Venezuela)
- 2nd runner-up - Cindy Nell (South Africa)
- 3rd runner-up - Sanja Papić (Serbia and Montenegro)
- 4th runner-up - Miyako Miyazaki (Japan)

The Top 10 were: Gislaine Rodrigues Ferreira (Brazil), Ndapewa Alfons (Namibia), Leanne Marie Cecile (Canada), Katerina Smrzova (Czech Republic), Faye Alibocas (Trinidad and Tobago)

Countries and territories which sent delegates and results.

Manuela Osk Hardarsdottir of Iceland withdrew from the pageant, when a dehydration caused by the weather prevented her from competing in the Preliminaries. However, she stayed in Panama until the pageant was over, joined by her boyfriend.
In terms of regional representation, this was one of the most balanced top fives in recent years, with delegates from Africa (South Africa), the Asia-Pacific Region (Japan), Europe (Serbia & Montenegro), South America (Venezuela), and the North America (Dominican Republic) all making the top five.
2003 was the first time in 11 years that India failed to make it into the semi-finals.
Angola and Serbia & Montenegro were called out to the semi-finals for the first time.
Venezuela, South Africa, Canada, and Panama were the only countries in this edition's semi-finals who were also called out in last year's semi-finals.
As for the other semi-finalists, Japan last placed in 1988, Namibia in 1992, Czech Republic in 1993, the Dominican Republic in 1995, Peru in 1996, both Brazil and Trinidad & Tobago in 1998, and both the USA and Greece in 2001.
Alexsandra Vodjanikova of Germany went on to win Top Model of the World 2007 in Egypt. She changed her last name and she won with the name of Alessandra Alores.