'Miss Russia' Is Highly Favored In The 2024 Miss Universe

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) will be crowning its new queen on 16 November 2024 in Arena CDMX, Mexico. The announcement last 24 August also claimed that the upcoming 73rd edition will be the "biggest event in the history of Miss Universe."

Mexico was revealed as the chosen host country during the Miss Universe 2023 finals, which took place in November in El Salvador. This will be the fifth time the North American country will host the competition after staging the 1978, 1989, 1993, and 2007 editions.

Around 130 beauty queens from different countries are expected to participate in this year’s competition. MUO also teased that a "new show format" will be introduced in the 2024 pageant, however, additional details about these changes have not yet been disclosed.

This will also be the first Miss Universe edition where there are no age restrictions for the candidates.

Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios will be crowning her successor. She was the first delegate from Nicaragua to win the Miss Universe crown. However, this early, the 18-year-old medical student Valentina Alexeeva, representing Russia, is highly touted as the favourite to replace her.

Here's what we know about the beauty from Cheboksary (Chuvashia):

1. She studies at the Pirogov Medical University in Moscow and, in the future, wants to become a doctor and help people.
2. Besides studying, Valentina is involved in fitness, yoga and dance. She used to be fond of ballet, but now she devotes herself more and more to science.
3. In one of the contest videos, Valentina said she wanted to show by her example that ‘Miss Russia’ can not only be beautiful, but also well-educated.
4. Her favorite books are "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky and "Catcher in the Rye" by Salinger. Her favorite food is pelmeni (dumplings) and Chuvash 'khupla' pie with meat and potatoes.
5. At the contest in Russia, Valentina represented the 'Bird of Happiness' charity project in the form of a white swan. She said the main task of the project was to help sick children.
6. The girl also performed a dance in a bright, Chuvash-style costume. The red and green dress was decorated with embroidery with traditional Chuvash patterns.
7. More than 85 girls from different regions of Russia took part in the selection competition and only 50 reached the finals.