“Age is just a number” Reactions as 60-year-old wins Miss Universe Buenos Aires beauty pageant

For the first time ever, a 60-year-old Argentine shattered stereotypes and carved her name into the history books by clinching the coveted title of Miss Universe for the province of Buenos Aires.

Alejandra Marisa Rodriguez emerged winner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant after the age restriction was removed for the first time and contestants of all ages above 18 were accepted.

Hailing from La Plata, the capital city of Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, Rodriguez is not just a beauty queen; she’s a seasoned lawyer and a journalist.

She becomes the first woman of her age cohort to clinch such a prestigious title.

Should she emerge victorious, Rodriguez will represent Argentina on the global stage at the Miss Universe World contest, scheduled for September 28, 2024, in Mexico. 

“I am thrilled to be representing this new paradigm in beauty pageants because we are inaugurating a new stage in which women are not only physical beauty but another set of values,” she told the media after her win.

The Miss Universe organization last year announced that it would no longer have age limits for pageant contestants. Beginning this year, any woman over the age of 18 is eligible to compete.

 Previously, only women ages 18–28 could enter the pageant. 

Another beauty pageant contestant who is making waves is 47-year-old Haidy Cruz, who will represent Dominican Republic in Miss Universe 2024.