Miss Puerto Rico, Denise Quinones, was crowned Miss Universe 2001 at a glitzy pageant in her home country last night, beating 76 other contestants.
Second-placed was Miss Greece, Evelina Papantoniou, while Miss USA, Kandace Krueger, was third.
The winners were announced after a two-hour extravaganza near the Puerto Rico capital of San Juan.
The flag-waving crowd, which had cheered her every time she appeared on the stage, went wild as Quinones, a 20-year-old who has studied singing and dancing, was announced winner of the 50th Miss Universe title and crowned by last year's winner, Lara Dutta of India.
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Sirens and horns outside the arena erupted into a cacophony as Puerto Ricans celebrated their fourth Miss Universe title.