Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza reacts after being named Miss Universe 2006 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, last Sunday. - REUTERS
LOS ANGELES (Reuters):
Forty minutes into her reign as Miss Universe, Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza collapsed during a post-pageant news conference and was rushed offstage on Sunday night.
Pageant officials immediately said the lithe 5-foot-9 18-year-old was all right and had fainted.
"She's OK. She's fine," pageant representative Lark Anton told Reuters. "She got dizzy. Its very hot up here. Her dress is tight, as you could see it was beaded and heavy. She passed out."
Anton said Mendoza "had plenty to eat today," when pressed for the beauty queen's condition before she fainted at the centre of the stage at the Shrine Auditorium, where she had become the 55th Miss Universe before an international television audience less than an hour earlier.
Mendoza attended the pagea-nt's Coronation Ball after recovering from her collapse, according to guests including Donald Trump, co-owner of the Miss Universe Organisation. "Yes, she's fine," Trump said as he left.
Yes, she's fine
The Puerto Rican beauty queen was named Miss Universe 2006 over runner-up Miss Japan, Kurara Chibana, 24. Second runner-up was Miss Switzerland Lauriane Gillieron, 21. Rounding out the top five were Miss Paraguay Lourdes Arevalos, 22, and Miss United States, 20-year-old Tara Conner.
The youngest of the five finalists, Mendoza appeared radiant as she waved to photographers several minutes before collapsing. Most of the press had left by the time she fainted.
Having lingered on stage, Mendoza was leaning on some assistants when her face fell to her chest, her new tiara atop her head. Tottering on high, spiky heels, she appeared to lean in this fashion for about 10 seconds and, at 8:38 p.m., collapsed in the arms of pageant assistants.
She was rushed offstage while the organiser of a post-pageant press conference called for aid.
"Is there a nurse in the house? Can a nurse come to the stage," said the announcer, who was not identified.
Within a minute, Anton said Mendoza was fine and had merely fainted.
During her news conference, Mendoza said she would carry out the work of the Miss Universe Organisation, which is to work to help those with HIV/AIDS.
The Miss Universe contest was held at the fabled Shrine Auditorium near downtown Los Angeles. It was a homecoming of sorts. The first Miss Universe pageant was held about 25 miles (40km) away in Long Beach, California, in 1952.
Ending her year as Miss Universe was Canadian Natalie Glebova, who was born in Russia.
