Across The Universe 2011 Part 9

- Across the Universe -

They are stars, the brightest one in each country. This summer, they will travel all along the way, across the universe, to gather in Sao Paulo where one of them will conquer the universe. As a celebration of Miss Universe pageant diamond anniversary, we dedicate this section for them. The beauties from all corners of the universe, who will fight to become the one and only, Miss Universe 2011!

Priscila Machado - BRAZIL (25/180 cm)

Priscila Machado is a Brazilian model that was crowned Miss Brasil 2011 and will represent the host nation Brazil in Miss Universe 2011. She competed as the representative of Rio Grande do Sul state. Her victory on Miss Brasil 2011 was not well received by many and she was booed by the audience because she had previously appeared in a topless photo shoot. The controversy surrounding her victory did not stop there and continued on later during the Miss Universe 2011 preliminary. Machado is currently majoring journalism at her university.

Laura Goncalves - PORTUGAL (22/175 cm)
Laura Goncalves was born in Miranda, Venezuela and raised in Caracas, Venezuela where she graduated from Academia Merici, a prestigious Ursuline school in 2007. She later moved to Portugal, where her parents came from, and attended the New University of Lisbon. On 29 July 2011 she competed at Miss Universo Portugal 2011 and ended up as the winner, gaining the right to represent Portugal at Miss Universe 2011.

Sara El-Khouly - EGYPT (23/173 cm)

Sara El-Khouly is an Egyptian Emirati model and beauty queen. She is of part Croatian descent and grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Sara was crowned Miss Egypt World 2010 on 7 July 2010 in Cairo. At the time of the coronation, she was a student at the American University of Sharjah. She represented her nation at the Miss World 2010, held in Sanya, China and later Miss Mediterranean 2011 held in Nicosia, Cyprus. She beat out 14 other contestants and took home the crown and title of Miss Mediterranean 2011. Due to the current political situation in Egypt, there was no national pageant in 2011. As an experienced beauty pageant contestant, Sara was therefore handpicked as the official Egyptian representative to the Miss Universe 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Christin Alexander - CAYMAN ISLANDS (24/182 cm)
Representing the district of Bodden Town, Alexander competed as one of 5 finalists in Miss Cayman Islands 2010, held in George Town on 25 September 2010, where she obtained the Best Legs award and was crowned the eventual winner of the title, gaining the right to represent the Cayman Islands in the 2011 edition of Miss Universe pageant. Prior to her participation in Miss Universe 2011, Alexander competed in Miss World 2010 and became one of the Top 40 semifinalists during the Beach Beauty and a Top 20 finalist in Sports events.

Laury Thilleman - FRANCE (20/179 cm)
Born in the city of Brest, Thilleman is a student of commerce and an avid sportswoman, practicing volleyball and surfing in her native department Bretagne. She competed as Miss Bretagne in her country's national beauty pageant, Miss France 2011, held in Caen, where she would become the eventual winner of the title, gaining the right to represent France in the 2011 Miss Universe pageant.

Shamcey Supsup - PHILIPPINES (25/173 cm)
Shamcey Gurrea Supsup is a Filipino beauty titleholder who will represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Supsup graduated as a Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Architecture. She also topped the June 2010 Architecture Licensure Examination in July 2010. She was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe on 10 April 2011 during the 2011 Binibining Pilipinas pageant. Asude from teh maintitle, she also won three special awards including Miss Cream Silk, Ambassadress for Philippine Airlines, and Miss Talent.

Natalia Gantimurova - RUSSIA (20 / 181 cm)
Natalia Sergeyevna Gantimurova was crowned Miss Russia 2011 and will represent her country in the 2011 Miss Universe and Miss World pageants. She descends from Russian princely family of Gantimurov. Born in Chelyabinsk to parents Sergei Gantimurov and Svetlana Nosyreva, Gantimurova is pursuing a bachelor's degree in international relations at Russian State University for the Humanities and speaks two foreign languages. She also enjoys snowboarding. During the Miss Russia 2011 pageant, Gantimurova competed as the representative of the capital city Moscow.

Sandra Amer - DENMARK (27/177cm)

Sandra Amer Hamad is the official representative of Denmark for Miss Universe 2011. She comes from Copenhagen and was selected by the director of Pretty Danish contest in a casting process instead of winning the national contest. Amer is of Iraqi descent and represented Iraq at Miss Supranational 2010 pageant.

Vasuki Sunkavalli - INDIA (27 /175 cm)

Sunkavalli was born in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh in a Telugu Hindu family. Her father is Venkataramana Babu Sunkavalli while her mother is Surya Prabha Sunkavalli. Sunkavalli attended St. Ann’s Girls’ High School in Secunderabad and later joined Villa Marie Junior College in Hyderabad. Throughout her childhood, Sunkavalli showed varied interests. She played basketball at the state level for six years and at the national level for two years. She also learned chess, piano and bharatanatyam (a classical Indian dance). In 2009, Sunkavalli enrolled at New York University to study International Law and Human Rights. She graduated with an LLM as a recipient of the prestigious Dean’s Scholarship. Upon graduating, she interned at the Human Rights Watch in New York City where she worked on reports regarding illegal police detentions and children’s rights. On 15 July 2011, Sunkavalli was crowned the I Am She Miss Universe India 2011 in Mumbai. The pageant consisted of 30 women from various parts of India. Consequently, Sunkavalli will be representing India at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant.