Raquel Oliver’s voice could rival that of Whitney Houston’s, but Miss Bahamas’ talent was not enough to wrest the 2011 Miss Global International crown from Miss Puerto Rico, Yansy Vega.
Head judge Robert Russell and his team had great difficulty selecting the winner of the seventh annual beauty contest last Saturday night, but at the end of the evening, and after two days of gruelling preparation, the women from Puerto Rico, Bosnia and Cape Verde were the top choices.
Vega, the 22-year-old Latin beauty, displaced 23 other women to take the crown, a trophy, US$1,000, J$150,000, a five-day/four-night stay at a Riu hotel, a contract with renowned photographer Brian Rosen, and all the perks that come with the coveted title. Her first and second runners-up are Semira Hadzimehmedagic, Miss Bosnia, and Yasmin Lima, Miss Cape Verde, respectively.
The judges, too, felt she was the best suited candidate to wear the Miss Global 2011 title, and Robert Russell confirmed this shortly after the announcement. “They were all beautiful girls, but we were looking for beauty, talent and awareness,” said Russell.
One of the crowd favourites, Miss Bahamas, did not make it further than the top 10, while Miss Australia, the Most Congenial, remained just that throughout the event.
