Oxana Fedorova - Miss Universe 2002

Miss Universe 2002

The 2002 Miss Universe contest was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fedorova won both the swimsuit and evening gown competitions by large margins over the other nine semi-finalists.

Upon being crowned Miss Universe 2002, Fedorova was given multiple honors and gifts. Russian doll designer Helen Yarmak even dedicated a doll to her.

Fedorova traveled to Kenya, Indonesia, Italy, France, Greece, Panama, Canada and Puerto Rico as Miss Universe 2002.

In Kenya, Fedorova toured HIV/AIDS programs in and around Nairobi, including AIDS orphanages

When she was in Indonesia, she visited Borobudur in Central Java with the Puteri Indonesia 2002, Melanie Putria Dewita Sari. They also met the President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, at her residence, Istana Negara.

Controversy soon loomed ahead for Fedorova, however, as she was later rumored to be pregnant.

Fedorova denied the pregnancy rumors and stated that she voluntarily gave up her crown for personal reasons, mainly because she wanted to finish her law degree. At the time, she stated in an interview that she had declined to perform her duties because she was so insulted by her treatment on The Howard Stern Show. She blamed the pageant organizers for not warning her of the sexual questions Stern frequently asks. The crown was passed on to Panama's Justine Pasek, the first runner-up, who consequently became her country's first Miss Universe.

Fedorova was the first Miss Universe who officially did not finish her reign (although the very first Miss Universe, Armi Kuusela, gave up her title a month before her reign ended and Amparo Muñoz of Spain was "unofficially" dethroned in 1974).

Although the Miss Universe Organization refuses to recognize Fedorova as a former Miss Universe, she is generally regarded as one by the public.

Fedorova was named the most beautiful Miss Universe of all time by the pageantry website Global Beauties in 2011.

In a poll conducted by the ­The All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion in 2012, respondents named Oxana Fedorova the most beautiful woman in Russia.