81-year-old South Korean falls short in a bid to become oldest Miss Universe contestant

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An 81-year-old South Korean fashion model fell short in her bid to become the oldest Miss Universe contestant after competing in the country’s national pageant against rivals old enough to be her grandchildren.

Dressed in a beaded white gown, the silver-haired Choi Soon-hwa strutted across the stage and performed in a singing contest at the Miss Universe Korea pageant held Monday at a hotel in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.

She missed out on the crown but did take home the “best dresser” award.

Han Ariel, a 22-year-old fashion school student, won the contest and will head to Mexico City for the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in November.

Choi, a former hospital care worker who began her modeling career in her 70s, was announced as a Miss Universe Korea finalist earlier this month along with 31 other contestants.

“Even at this age, I had the courage to grab onto an opportunity and take on a challenge,” Choi told The Associated Press hours before Monday’s pageant.

“I want people to look at me and realize that you can live healthier and find joy in life when you find things you want to do and challenge yourself to achieve that dream.”

It would have been impossible for Choi to compete in the pageant a year ago as Miss Universe had limited the participation to women between the ages of 18 and 28. The age limit, which had long drawn criticism, was lifted this year as part of efforts to make the competition more modern and diverse.

Organizers of the Korean pageant also removed the swimsuit competition and eligibility requirements related to education levels, height and foreign language abilities to open the contest to more women.

The Associated Press