Mariann Birkedal

Norwegian model

Born

Mariann Birkedal

Height1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)^[1]

TitleNorske Miss Universe 2008
Frøken Norge 2010

Hair colorBrown

Mariann Birkedal
Born	Mariann Birkedal Stavanger, Norway
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)^[1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Norske Miss Universe 2008 Frøken Norge 2010
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Blue/Green
Major competition(s)	Frøken Norge 2008 (1st runner-up) Miss Universe 2008 (Unplaced) Frøken Norge 2010 (Winner) Miss World 2010 (Top 7) (Miss World Top Model)

Mariann Birkedal is a Norwegian model and beauty pageant titleholder who has represented Norway in Miss Universe 2008 and Miss World 2010.

After participating in Frøken Norge 2008 and placing first runner-up, she was selected in a separate competition to be her country's representative to the 2008 Miss Universe pageant held in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008.

Miss World 2010

Birkedal competed and won the 2010 Frøken Norge pageant celebrated in Noresund on June 26, gaining the right to represent Norway in Miss World 2010.

As the official representative of her country to the 2010 Miss World pageant, held in Sanya, China, she won the Miss World Top Model fast-track event on October 23, and automatically became one of the Top 25 semifinalists, the first Norwegian woman to place in Miss World since 2003.^[2]

Birkedal also placed third in both Miss World Beach Beauty^[3] and Miss World Sportswoman^[4] fast-track events of Miss World 2010, which made her the early bookies' favourite to win the contest. In the end, she finished in the Top 7.^[5]

There were some suggestions that Beijing might have pressured the judges to provide low scores for Birkedal, Miss Norway, because the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to one of its political prisoners, Liu Xiaobo.^[6]^[7]

References

↑ "Contestant profile - Norway". missworld.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
↑ "Mariann ready for the Miss World finals". Verdens Gang. October 23, 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
↑ "2010 Beach Beauty Final". missworld.com. October 19, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
↑ "Miss World Sportswoman 2010". missworld.com. October 22, 2010. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
↑ "American teen crowned Miss World 2010". Sydney Morning Herald. October 31, 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
↑ Sheridan, Michael (November 2010). "Miss Norway Mariann Birkedal lost Miss World to Alexandria Mills over Norway, China dispute: report". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
↑ "Did Nobel Peace Prize affect Miss World outcome?". USA Today. Retrieved 26 January 2025.