The new MISS UNIVERSE, ZULEYKA RIVERA, insists she collapsed soon after being crowned because she was overwhelmed by the weight of her enormous dress. Rivera, who was representing Puerto Rico, fainted at a news conference in Los Angeles on Sunday (23JUL06), just 40 minutes after landing the prize. The 18-year-old wore an evening gown made out of heavy chains for the final portion of the contest and was overwhelmed by the heat and the heaviness of her dress. Rivera appeared on LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY today (26JUL06), where she explained the events leading up to the dramatic moment. She says, "The dress was 30 pounds (14 kilograms) - it's all chains, very, very, heavy. "I was very excited and the dress was very, heavy also. It was very hot there. I was sweating. I could feel the sweat in my skin..." The gown also left huge scratches on her shoulder from the chains digging into her skin, but she insists it's still a good luck charm. She adds, "It's beautiful and it's the dress that helped me to win!"