The Miss Universe 2010 contestants, National costume (Part 1)

Miss Denmark Ena Sandra poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Italy Jessica Cecchini poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.



Miss Ghana Awurama Simpson poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Haiti Sarodj Bertin poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Kosovo Keshtjella Pepshi poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Georgia Nana Gogichaishvili poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Guyana Tamika Henry poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss France Malika Menard poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss France Malika Menard prepares herself for the Miss Universe National Costume event at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss India Ushoshi Sengupta poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Paraguay Yohana Benitez Olmedo poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Indonesia Qory Sandioriva poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Finland Viivi Pumpanen poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss El Salvador Sonia Cruz poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss France Malika Menard poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Ecuador Lady Mina poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.



photo: Reuters

Miss Universe 2010 contestants poses in their swimsuits on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010.

Miss Israel 2010 Bat-el Jobi poses in her swimsuit during a Miss Universe 2010 event in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 final will be on August 23, 2010.




In this publicity image released by the Miss Universe Organization, Miss Jamaica 2010 Yendi Phillipps poses in her swimsuit at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 competition will be broadcast live on the NBC at 9 p.m. EST on Aug. 23.





Miss Switzerland Linda Faeh poses in her swimsuit during a Miss Universe 2010 event in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 final will be on August 23, 2010.




Miss Guam Vanessa Torres and Miss Bahamas Braneka Bassett pose in their swimsuits during a Miss Universe 2010 event in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 final will be on August 23, 2010.




In this publicity image released by the Miss Universe Organization, from left, Vanessa Torres, Miss Guam 2010; Braneka Bassett, Miss Bahamas 2010; Tirelo Ramasedi, Miss Botswana 2010; Tania Lim, Miss Singapore 2010, and Bat-el Jobi, Miss Israel 2010, their swimsuits at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 competition will be broadcast live on the NBC at 9 p.m. EST on Aug. 23.




In this publicity image released by the Miss Universe Organization, Stefania Fernandez, Miss Universe 2009, from Venezuela, poses for a photo at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010.




Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps (from L to R), Miss Belgium Cilou Annys, Miss Switzerland Linda Faeh, and Miss Thailand Fonthip Watcharatrakul pose in their swimsuits during a Miss Universe 2010 event in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 final will be on August 23, 2010.




Miss Israel Bat-el Jobi ( from L to R), Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps and Miss Thailand Fonthip Watcharatrakul pose in their swimsuits during a Miss Universe 2010 event in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 final will be on August 23, 2010.




Miss Singapore Tania Lim poses in her swimsuit during a Miss Universe 2010 event in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 final will be on August 23, 2010.


photo: AP, Reuters

Get to know... Miss Universe 2010 contestants (Part 4)

Miss Spain 2010 Adriana Reveron poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.

The Miss Universe 2010 contestants in their swimsuits, August 15, 2010.

Miss Spain 2010 Adriana Reveron (L-R), Miss Greece 2010 Anna Prelevits, and Miss South Africa 2010 Nicole Flint, pose in their swimsuits in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.



Miss Mexico 2010 Jimena Navarrete poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Spain 2010 Adriana Reveron poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Greece 2010 Anna Prelevits (L) and Miss Russia 2010 Irina Antonenko pose in their swimsuits in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Russia 2010 Irina Antonenko poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.



Miss Uruguay 2010 Stephany Ortega poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.



Miss Canada 2010 Elena Semikina poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.



Miss Ecuador 2010 Lady Mina poses in her swimsuit in Las Vegas, Nevada August 15, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.



photo: Reuters

Miss Universe 2010 contestants, Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010.

Elena Semikina (L), Miss Canada 2010; Yesica Di Vincenzo (C), Miss Argentina 2010; and Angela Martini, Miss Albania 2010, pose for a photo at the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.



Marelisa Gibson, Miss Venezuela 2010, poses with her national gift at the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.




Rozanna Purcell, Miss Ireland 2010, holds a pair of Galway Crystal candlestick holders that she brought as her national gift for the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.




Ria van Dyke, Miss New Zealand 2010, poses with a painting titled "Morning Song" by artist Dave Sotogi, that she brought as her national gift for the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.




Nicole Flint, Miss South Africa 2010, poses as she arrives at the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.




Donia Hamed, Miss Egypt 2010, poses with her national gift at the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.




Cilou Annys, Miss Belgium 2010, poses with a tennis ball signed by Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters, that she brought as her national gift for the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.




Venus Raj, Miss Philippines 2010, tells a guest about her national gift at the Miss Universe National Gift Auction in Las Vegas, Nevada August 14, 2010. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.

photo: Reuters

Miss Universe 2010 contestants, August 13, 2010

Miss Belgium 2010 Cilou Annys (C) rehearses for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Greece 2010 Anna Prelevits rehearses for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.


Miss Mexico 2010 Jimena Navarrete poses for photos in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23




Miss Israel 2010 Bat-el Jobi rehearses for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.



Miss Mexico 2010 Jimena Navarrete (L-R), Miss Israel 2010 Bat-el Jobi and Miss Panama 2010 Anyoli Abrego rehearse for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Belgium 2010 Cilou Annys (R) rehearses for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Norway 2010 Melinda Elvenes rehearses for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




In this publicity image released by Miss Universe Organization, Miss Paraguay 2010 Yohana Benitez Olmedo, and Miss Sweden 2010 Michaela Savic, rehearse with choreographer Michael Schwandt for the upcoming Miss Universe Competition at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Friday, Aug. 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 competition will be broadcast live on the NBC at 9 p.m. EST on Aug. 23.




In this publicity image released by the Miss Universe Organization, Miss Haiti 2010 Sarodj Bertin poses at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Friday, Aug. 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 competition will be broadcast live on the NBC at 9 p.m. EST on Aug. 23.




Miss Germany 2010 Kristiana Rohder rehearses for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.




Miss Brazil 2010 Debora Lyra (L-R), Miss Ecuador 2010 Lady Mina, Miss Paraguay 2010 Yohana Benitez Olmedo, and Miss Sweden 2010 Michaela Savic, rehearse for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada August 13, 2010. The Miss Universe 2010 pageant will take place in Las Vegas on August 23.

photo: AP, Reuters