Germany’s Jasmin Selberg bested 67 other beauty queens to win the coveted Miss International title in the finals night held on Tuesday, December 13 at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
The 23-year-old university student in history and philosophy received the new crown by Long Beach Pearl from Sireethorn Leearamwat, the longest-reigning Miss International from Thailand and became Germany’s second Miss International queen after Iris Klein in 1989.
Rounding out the Top 5 finalists were the first runner-up from Cabo Verde, Stephany Amado; second runner-up from Peru, Tatiana Calmell; third runner-up from Colombia, Natalia López Cardona; and fourth runner-up from the Dominican Republic, Celinee Santos.
For her speech, Selberg said: “Someone I really look up to told me that it’s good to start small before doing something big. And I would say I dare to dream big because that just say… Let’s just begin with that it’s good to support your locals. And this is what I want to do if I was lucky enough to be the next Miss International. Because it is not just what the big things are that we do—the little things matter because small things have big echoes. Let us start to plant flowers in our gardens for the bees. Or let’s just pick up trash because it is beneficial for our environment. It’s not just the big things that matter, but also the small and so does a good heart, kindness, and peace which we all should be ambassadors of.”
Top 8 also included Madison Kvaltin representing Canada, Israel Harrison representing Jamaica, Julianna Ro representing Spain while Top 15 included Mahyla Roth of Costa Rica, Anna Merimää, Finland, Maya Albert of France, Lydia Smit, New Zealand, Savannah Delos Santos representing Northern Mariana Islands, Hannah Arnold representing Philippines and Evanjelin Elchmanar, United Kingdom.
Also at the end of the event finale, Valeria Gutiérrez of Ecuador was awarded Miss Photogenic, Nigina Fakhriddinova of Uzbekistan, Best in National Costume, Tatiana Calmell of Peru, Best in Evening Gown and Evanjelin Elchmanar of United Kingdom, Best in Swimsuit respectively.
Miss International is an annual beauty pageant that aims to promote international friendship and mutual understanding between nations.