Miss Universe, one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the world and established in 1952, celebrates the strength of womanhood and annually crowns the woman who is not only beautiful but also elegant and strong enough to help the society. Over the past decade, the Miss Universe stage has seen the performances of gorgeous beauties no less than the other. Not only the winner, but the pageant also acknowledges the contestants who secure second and third positions in the competition. The first runner up carries equal importance as that of the winner because if in any case, the crowned queen is unable to fulfill her duties, the title and the responsibilities are taken over by the runner-up. Let’s have a look at all the beautiful divas who stood second at the stage of Miss Universe from the year 2010 till now –

Yendi Phillips Miss Universe 2010 First Runner-up from Jamaica

Yendi Philips represented Jamaica in Miss Universe 2010 as she astounded the audience with her phenomenal performance throughout the competition. With her stunning figure and invincible confidence, this beauty scored the highest marks in the swimsuit competition. She stood second in the evening gown competition thereby making her way into the final question answer round. Her answer to the question of death penalty was appreciated by the judges which made her secure the second position at the end of the event. Undoubtedly, Phillips gave a tough competition to other contestants including Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete. At the age of 22, Yendi participated in Miss World 2007 where she got placed in Miss World Beach Beauty, Miss World Sports, Miss World Talent, Miss World Top Model and the Beauty With A Purpose Award. It was her excellence and experience, that made her one of the most memorable contestants of Miss Universe 2010.

Olesia Stefanko Miss Universe 2011 First Runner-up from Ukraine

Olesia Stefanko was 23-year-old when she vied for the crown of Miss Universe 2011 representing Ukraine. Her performance in the evening gown competition made the audience go head over heels. Though she didn’t receive the title for the best evening gown that night, her performance was appreciated by the pageant fanatics. Undeniably, she looked like a fairy in her white colored plain and frilled gown. Olesia brought in the highest placement for Ukraine by standing second in Miss Universe 2011. She was titled as the first runner up surpassing the competition from 88 equally talented and stunning ladies. Graduated with degree in Law from National University Odesa Law Academy in 2012, Olesia now is a lawyer by profession and is planning to start her career in Kiev prosecutor's office.

Janine Mari Raymundo Tugonon Miss Universe 2012 First Runner-up from Philippines

Janine Tugonon represented Philippines in Miss Universe 2012 where she was placed as the first runner up to Olivia Culpo of USA. Janine gave an exceptional performance at the stage of Miss Universe 2012 marking the third consecutive year where Philippines was placed in the top 5 finalists. Janine earlier tried her luck in Binibining Pilipinas 2011, aiming for Miss Universe 2011. However, she was outshined by Shamsey Supsup who represented Philippines in Miss Universe 2011. She walked the Miss Universe 2012 runway with grace and poise and these traits let her secure the second position. Her answer in the final question answer round received a lot of appreciation that year. Tugonon became the second Filipino to place 1st Runner-up, after Miriam Quiambao at Miss Universe 1999.

Patricia Yurena Rodríguez Alonso Miss Universe 2013 First Runner-up from Spain

Patricia Rodríguez was 23-year-old when she represented Spain in Miss Universe 2013. She was the first runner up to María Gabriela Isler of Venezuela who was also her roommate during the competition. With her splendid performance at the stage of Miss Universe 2013, Patricia became the second Spanish woman to place 1st runner up after Teresa Sánchez López in 1985. Before being a tough competitor in Miss Universe 2013, she participated in Miss World 2008 and managed to take space in the list of semifinalists which made her the fourth Miss World semifinalist to become the first runner up in Miss Universe. Patricia possessed stunning looks, a perfect body, and an enchanting personality and all these traits helped her secure the second position in Miss Universe 2013.

Nia Sanchez Miss Universe 2014 First Runner-up from USA

Nia Sanchez represented the USA in Miss Universe 2014 at the age of 24. She became one of the favorite contestants of the audience because of her playful yet eloquent personality. Be it the swimsuit competition or the evening gown competition, this beauty of Nevada didn’t let anything come in her way to the title. Like any other contender, she also aimed for the crown of Miss Universe 2014 but didn’t lose confidence when she was titled as the first runner up to Paulina Vega of Colombia. Prior to boasting her skills at the stage of Miss Universe 2014, Nia participated in Miss California USA 2010, Miss Riverside County USA 2011, Miss Hollywood USA 2012, Miss Nevada USA 2014, Miss USA 2014 where she was tied up in a controversy which was later clarified. Fulfilling her childhood dream, Sanchez is now an American model and a television presenter.

Ariadna María Gutiérrez Arévalo Miss Universe 2015 First Runner-up from Colombia

Miss Universe 2015 was probable the most controversial edition so far. Ariadna Gutiérrez was the representative of Colombia in Miss Universe 2015. Initially, Ariadna was announced as the winner of Miss Universe 2015 which was later changed to Pia Wurtzbach making Ariadna, the first runner up of the event.  She gave a heart throbbing performance in the swimsuit competition and made the audience go gaga over her stunning figure. She made her way into the final question-answer round surpassing the 80 other beautiful contestants from across the world. A model by profession, Ariadna has walked for several big brands and has starred in a Hollywood film.

Raquel Pélissier Miss Universe 2016 First Runner-up from Haiti

Raquel Pélissier was a Haitian representative in Miss Universe 2016. At the age of 24, she was titled as the first runner up to Iris Mittenaere. With her whopping height of 180 cm, she took over the hearts of the pageant lovers and even the judges. Her unique style and individuality were other reasons for the love and appreciation she received from the viewers. Her bold yet elegant look made her look different from other vying contestants. Right from the beginning to the end, this beauty excelled in every aspect and displayed a better version of herself every day. Her hard work paid off when she secured the second place in the competition.

Laura González Ospina Miss Universe 2017 First Runner-up from Colombia

Laura González Ospina represented Colombia in Miss Universe 2017 where she was awarded as the first runner-up of the event. Her victory marked the fourth time when Colombia reached in the top 3 finalists. Her performance in the swimsuit competition was adorable as she looked stunning with her picture-perfect body and poses. In the evening gown competition, she didn’t look any less than a goddess while she walked down the runway carrying an exquisite silver colored gown. Laura earlier participated in Miss Universe Colombia 2017 and was crowned as winner gaining the opportunity to represent her Country in Miss Universe 2017. Ospina now is a professional model and an actress in her country’s entertainment industry.

Tamaryn Green Miss Universe 2018 First Runner-up from South Africa

Tamaryn Green was the representative of South Africa in Miss Universe 2018. With her remarkable performance in Miss Universe 2018, she was titled as the first runner up to Miss Universe 2018, Catriona Gray. Green made her way into the final question-answer round vying against 94 other talented delegates of different countries. By securing the second position in Miss Universe 2018, she marked the second time when South Africa was titled as the first runner up after Leticia Snyman in Miss Universe 1984. Her views on politics and life were appreciated in masses throughout the event.

Madison Sara Anderson Berríos Miss Universe 2019 First Runner-up from Puerto Rico

Madison Anderson represented Puerto Rico in Miss Universe 2019 at the age of 23 years. Madison gave an outstanding performance in the evening gown competition. Her golden color gown matched perfectly with her skin tone and complemented her body beautifully. The beauty was multiplied by her graceful walk on the stage of Miss Universe 2019. Madison has been in pageantry since a young age of 19 as the first pageant in which she participated was Miss Florida Teen USA 2014 followed by Top Model of the World 2015, Miss Grand Puerto Rico 2016, Miss Florida USA 2019 and Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2019. The latter gave her the right to represent Puerto Rico in Miss Universe 2019.