Xiomara Blandino

Pageant titleholder bio
photo =
alias =Xiomara Blandino
birthname =Xiomara Gioconda Blandino Artola
birth = birth date and age|1984|09|10
height =height|ft=5|in=6
title =Miss Managua 2007
Miss Carnaval 2006
Miss Nicaragua 2007
nationalcompetition=Miss Nicaragua 2007 (winner)
Miss Universe 2007 (top 10 finalist)
location Managua, Nicaragua
eye color =Brown
hair color =Brunette

Xiomara Gioconda Blandino Artola (born September 10 1984) is a beauty queen from Managua, Nicaragua. Blandindo was crowned Miss Nicaragua 2007, which was held in the Rubén Darío National Theater in Managua.cite news | first=Tania | last=Ortega | coauthors= | title= Miss Nicaragua 2007 | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.theonlinewire.com/articleView.aspx?ID=2771 | work =Canal 2 | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | language = Spanish ] She also represented Nicaragua at the Miss Universe 2007 pageant. Blandino placed in the top 10 finalist, [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=From Far East to Miss Universe | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070529/NEWS/705290523/1052/NEWSREWIND | work =Telegram | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | language = ] she is the second Nicaraguan contestant to place within the top finalists in 30 years, Beatriz Obregón was the first in 1977. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Miss Nicaragua 2007 logró a ubicarse entre las 10 finalistas del evento de las mujeres más bellas del mundo | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2007/05/29/variedades/49949 | work =El Nuevo Diario | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | language = Spanish ]

Personal life

Blandino was born and raised in Managua, her family consists of her mother, father and a younger brother whom she adores. Blandino enjoys dancing traditional Nicaraguan ballet, Latin influenced rhythms and the Flamenco. Her interests include spending time with her family and friends, cooking, and making pottery. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Miss Nicaragua - Xiomara Blandino | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.jijasali.com/contestant.php?contestant=394 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | language = ] She also likes martial arts, Tae Kwon Do, in which she obtains a black belt, and reading.

Volunteering and helping out at the fire department of Nicaragua is what brings Blandino joy, she also helped her mother defeat cancer. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Miss Universe 2007 odds: Who are the Top Ten favorites to win the pageant? | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.theonlinewire.com/articleView.aspx?ID=2771 | work =The Online Wire | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-02 | language = ] She has made it her main goal to support the fight against the devastating illness and to increase awareness towards breast cancer.

Blandino is studying architecture at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores in the [http://www.uni.edu.ni/ Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria] (IES-UNI). Her joy in helping people keeps her involved in social work. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Miss Nicaragua 2007- Conoce a Xiomara Blandino | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?cid=1190694 | work =Univision | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-04 | language = Spanish ] Prior to competing in Miss Universe, Blandino was working on bringing awareness toward self-examinations to detect breast cancer. Blandino, to date, has not had any surgeries, but explains that it is something she might reconsider in the future. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Miss Nicaragua 2007- Conoce a Xiomara Blandino | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml;jsessionid=UCVKGF1ECURPQCWIABJSFFIKZAAGAIWC?chid=5&schid=12289&secid=10280&cid=1190694&pagenum=2 | work =Univision | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-04 | language = Spanish ]

Pageants

Carnaval

Blandino was crowned "Reina del Carnaval", [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Xiomara Blandino a Miss América Latina | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2006/06/08/variedades/21266 | work =El Nuevo Diario | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | language = Spanish ] in 2006 at the annual "Alegria por la vida" Carnaval held in Managua, Nicaragua.

Miss Nicaragua

Blandino won the Miss Nicaragua pageant in 2007, [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Miss Nicaragua 2007 | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.theonlinewire.com/articleView.aspx?ID=2771 | work =Canal 2 | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-03 | language = Spanish ] she competed as Miss Managua. She was crowned by Cristiana Frixione, who held the Miss Nicaragua title in 2006. Blandino also won the titles for "Face of Avon" and "Nice Legs".

Miss Universe

Blandino represented Nicaragua at the Miss Universe 2007 pageant. Blandino made the top 15 finalists and competed in the swimsuit round where she scored an 8.171 . She made history when she was announced in the top 10 finalists, where she later competed in the evening gown round and scored a 7.674. She placed in the 10th spot in both the swimsuit and evening gown rounds. Blandino is the second Nicaraguan delegate to be named as a finalist in the Miss Universe pageant in 30 years.

Miss Tourism Queen International

Later this year, Blandino represented Nicaragua at Miss Tourism Queen International 2007 in Hangzhou, China. She was the first ever Nicaraguan delegate at Miss Tourism Queen International, a fairly new pageant established in 2004. She was unplaced at that pageant.

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.missnicaragua.com Miss Nicaragua] Official site
*Xiomara Blandino at [http://www.missuniverse.com/delegates/2007/files/NI.html MissUniverse.com]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before=Cristiana Frixione
title=Miss Nicaragua
years=2007
after=Thelma Rodríguez|