SA’s Tamaryn within a whisker of winning
It was, oh, so close.
Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was crowned first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, early on Monday.
Catriona Gray, 24, from the Philippines was crowned Miss Universe while Miss Venezuela, Sthefany Gutiérrez, 19, was the second runner-up at the 67th Miss Universe pageant.
Green, 24, from Paarl in the Western Cape, was one of the frontrunners in the build-up to the finale.
Green, whose national costume at the pageant was inspired by the blue crane, Mzansi’s national bird, said the experience had been “beyond my wildest expectations and I am delighted to have done so well. Congratulations to Catriona”.
She described the other contestants as “wonderful”, saying she believed she would be lifelong friends with some of them.
“It has been a true journey of the sisterhood.
“Thailand is a fantastic country with friendly people who have made us all feel so welcome.
“We worked hard but what we have received in return is priceless. The support I got really spurred me on,” Green said.
The pageant, which was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey and supermodel Ashley Graham, saw SA’s Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters crown her successor at the end of the event.
Green was a final-year medical student at the University of Cape Town when she won the Miss South Africa title in May.
She said at the time that she hoped to specialise in paediatrics once she qualified.
She raised awareness around TB with her #BreakTheStigma campaign and spoke at the first-ever UN General Assembly high-level meeting on tuberculosis in New York in September. Miss Spain, Angela Ponce, 27, made history in 2018 as the first transgender contestant at the Miss Universe pageant. –