21-year-old Anagabriela Espinoza Marroquin from Mexico bested 64 other contestants for the 2009 Miss International crown.

Espinoza, a former Miss World semi-finalist, is a student and model from Monterrey, Mexico. She is one of the pre-pageant favorites to win the crown this year alongside Miss Venezuela and Miss Philippines.

Her runner-ups, however, were surprise entries to the Top 15. 1st runner-up was Miss Korea, Eun Mi Seo, who sported a short hair just like the Korean representative in Miss Earth 2009. 2nd runner-up was Miss United Kingdom, Chloe Beth Morgan.

A Top 15 were selected as semi-finalists this year instead of 12 and they are:

Belarus, Yana Supranovich
Belgium, Cassandra D’Ermilio
Brazil, Rayanne Fernanda de Morais
Canada, Chanel Beckenlehner
Cuba, Patricia Rosales
Dominican Republic, Victoria De Jesus Fernández Tavárez
Finland, Linda Wikstedt
Japan, Yuka Nakayama
Panama, Joyce Fátima Marie Jacobi Samudio
Philippines, Melody Adelheid Manuel Gersbach
Spain, Melania Santiago Durán
Venezuela, Laksmi Rodríguez de la Sierra

Our delegate, Melody Gersbach, was a pageant favorite and she made it to the Top 15.

The Miss International 2009 pageant was held at the Tennis International hotel in Chengdu, China, on November 28.