Victoria Kjaer Theilvig becomes first Danish Miss Universe 2024

 Denmark’s Victoria Kjaer Theilvig became the first Dane to win Miss Universe 2024.

The 21-year-old competitive dancer, entrepreneur, and aspiring lawyer defeated over 120 other participants to win Mexico City’s annual beauty pageant on Saturday night.

Other contenders on stage congratulated her as she took the title from Nicaragua’s reigning titleholder, Sheynnis Palacios.

Mario Lopez from “Saved by the Bell” and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo hosted this year’s finale, which featured a performance by musician Robin Thicke.

Based on the results of Thursday’s preliminary event, which included a showy national costume competition, the extravagant pageant began with the reduction of contenders to a shortlist of 30. The semi-finalists then paraded in swimsuits, with 12 of them progressing to an evening gown competition.

We then asked the final five competitors questions on a variety of issues, including leadership and resilience. When asked how she would live differently if no one judged her, Theilvig responded that she would not change anything, saying, “I live by each day.”

When asked what she would tell those watching, Theilvig encouraged them to “keep fighting… no matter where you come from.”

“I stand here today because I want a change; I want to make history, and that’s what I’m doing tonight,” stated the actress.

Chidimma Adetshina of Nigeria was the first runner-up, with Maria Fernanda Beltran of Mexico coming in second. Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand and Ileana Marquez Pedroza of Venezuela followed, with Pedroza, a 28-year-old mother, making history by finishing in the top five after the competition lifted various limitations in recent years.

This year marked the first time in Miss Universe’s 72-year history when ladies beyond the age of 28 were eligible to compete. More than two dozen of the finalists were over the age limit in prior years, with Malta’s Beatrice Njoya becoming the first and only woman in her forties to reach the grand final.

The abolition of the age limit coincided with increased requests for the pageant to modernize. The Miss Universe Organization reversed a long-standing restriction on pregnant women or mothers, as well as women who are or have ever been married, ahead of the 2023 tournament.