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Japanese Dancer, Internationalist Takes Miss Universe Crown

If you donned your bathing suit this Memorial Day weekend, you probably didn't show it off to a worldwide audience. That's okay -- there's always next year to win the Miss Universe pageant, held Monday night in the Districto Federal of Mexico. 2007 belongs to Riyo Mori, a ballerina from Shizuoka, Japan who promised her grandmother she would win before she was 20 (according to the Associated Press). Miss USA disappointed her own grandma by finishing as fourth runner-up after taking a spill in her evening gown.

Although she officially represented Japan in competition, Mori could only have won with some international help: Not only did she wear a "shiny like sunshine" Gucci gown and Bulgari jewelry, according to her blog, Mori honed the talent she presented in competition at ballet school in Canada. To win the competition she had to impress a diverse panel including Elle editor Nina Garcia (Colombian), "Heroes" actor James Kyson Lee (South Korean) and rocker Dave Navarro (Martian). So maybe we should call her Miss Global Village?

[Photo: MissUniverse.com]

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