Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe

  
    MISS UNIVERSE 2011 FROM ANGOLA CROWNING THE MISS UNIVERSE 2012 FROM USA

                                 TOP 5....ON THE MISS UNIVERSE 2012

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 20-year-old beauty queen from Rhode Island was crowned the new Miss Universe on Wednesday, beating out 88 other women during a televised competition at the Planet Hollywood casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Olivia Culpo took the crown from Leila Lopes of Angola after strutting in a purple and blue bikini and a red velvet gown.

In the final stages of the competition, she answered a question about her regrets by saying she wished she hadn't picked on her siblings.

Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second, while Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third.

Contestants from 89 countries on six continents spent the past two weeks in Sin City, where they posed in hardhats at a hotel groundbreaking, took a painting lesson, and pranked hotel guests by hiding in their rooms.

The beauty queens took the stage in tight, pleated mini-dresses with glittering sequin bodices and sky high platform shoes, strutting to the hit "Live While We're Young," by English-Irish boy band One Direction.

Top 5

1. Venezuela
2. Philippines
3. Australia
4. USA
5. Brazil

Top 10

Australia
Russia
Brazil
France
Venezuela
USA
Hungary
South Africa
Mexico
Philippines

Top 16

1. Venezuela
2. Turkey
3. France
4. Peru
5. Russia
6. Mexico
7. Poland
8. Hungary
9. South Africa
10. Philippines
11. Crotia
12. Brazil
13. Kosovo
14. Australia
15. India
16. USA