Miss World 1978

Miss World 1978
Silvana Suárez
Date16 November 1978
Presenters
  • Paul Burnett
  • Sacha Distel
VenueRoyal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom
BroadcasterBBC
Entrants68
Placements15
Debuts
  • Dominica
  • Saint Vincent
Withdrawals
  • Bolivia
  • Lebanon
  • Luxembourg
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • South Africa
Returns
  • India
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Malaysia
  • Mauritius
  • Nigeria
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Swaziland
  • Tunisia
  • Virgin Islands
WinnerSilvana Suárez
Argentina
← 1977
1979 →

Miss World 1978 was the 28th edition of the Miss World pageant, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom on 16 November 1978.

At the end of the event, Mary Stävin of Sweden crowned Silvana Suárez of Argentina as the new Miss World, this was the second time Argentina has won Miss World.[1]

Contestants from sixty-eight countries and territories competed in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Paul Burnett and Sascha Distel. Distel also performed in this year's pageant.

Background

Royal Albert Hall, the location of Miss World 1978

Selection of participants

Contestants from sixty-eight countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. Two candidates were appointed to their position to replace the original dethroned winner.

Replacements

Silvana Suárez, the first runner-up of Miss Argentina 1978, was appointed to represent her country at Miss World after the original winner, Margarita Susana Heindrycks, was disqualified for being underage.[2] Pascale Taurua was originally crowned as Miss France 1978 and was to compete internationally. However, she decided to return to homeland rather than taking the title, and the title was given to Brigitte Konjovic, the first runner-up.[3][4] Due to personal reasons, Konjovic was dethroned as Miss France, and the title of Miss France 1978 was given to the second runner-up Kelly Hoarau.[5]

Malek Nemlaghi of Tunisia was initially disqualified after refusing to remove her yashmak and wear boxer shorts for the official photo-call.[6] However, she was reinstated back into the competition after she agreed to remove her yashmak at the dress rehearsal.[7][8]

Debuts, returns, and withdrawals

The 1978 edition saw the debuts of Dominica and Saint Vincent and the returns of India, Italy, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, Swaziland, Tunisia, and the Virgin Islands.[9] Nigeria last competed in 1970, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Swaziland, and Tunisia last competed in 1975, while the others last competed in 1976.

Bolivia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, and South Africa withdrew in this edition. Angelyn Tukana of Papua New Guinea withdrew due to lack of funding.[10] Yolanda Kloppers of South Africa did not compete after the Miss World Organization decided to ban the country from competing due to its apartheid policy.[11]

Results

Placements

Placement Contestant
Miss World 1978
1st runner-up
2nd runner-up
3rd runner-up
4th runner-up
Top 7
Top 15

Special awards

Award Winner
Miss Photogenic
  • Mexico Mexico – Martha Ortiz[13]
Miss Talent
  • Philippines Philippines – Louvette Hammond[14]

Contestants

Countries and territories which sent delegates and results[1][12]

Sixty-eight contestants competed for the tile.

Country/Territory Contestant Age[a] Hometown
Argentina Argentina Silvana Suárez[2] 20 Córdoba
Aruba Aruba Rose-Anne Lejuez[15] 18 Oranjestad
Australia Australia Denise Coward[16] 23 Parkdale
Austria Austria Doris Anwander[17] 18 Bregenz
The Bahamas Bahamas Donna Marie McCook 23 Nassau
Belgium Belgium Françoise Moens 18 Brussels
Bermuda Bermuda Madeline Francine Joell 19 Smith's Parish
Brazil Brazil Laura Angélica Viana Pereira 20 Salvador
Canada Canada Brigitte June Hofmann 18 Hamilton
Cayman Islands Cayman Islands Wendy Lorraine Daykin 18 George Town
Chile Chile Trinidad Sepúlveda 22 Santiago
Colombia Colombia Denise de Castro Santiago 19 Barranquilla
Costa Rica Costa Rica Maribel Fernández[18] 19 San José
Netherlands Antilles Curaçao Silvana Angely Trinidad 21 Willemstad
Cyprus Cyprus Mary Adamou 19 Nicosia
Denmark Denmark Birgit Stefansen 21 Struer
Dominica Dominica Mona Jno-Lewis 19 Roseau
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Jenny Polanco[19] 20 Puerto Plata
Ecuador Ecuador Antonieta Campódonico[20] 18 Guayaquil
El Salvador El Salvador Iris Mazorra 18 San Salvador
Finland Finland Eija Laaksonen[21] 22 Tampere
France France Kelly Hoarau[5] 18 Le Port
West Germany Germany Monika Greis 23 Heidelberg
Gibraltar Gibraltar Rosanna Bonfante 17 Gibraltar
Greece Greece Ariana Dimitropoulou 23 Athens
Guam Guam Elizabeth Clara Tenorio 22 Asan
Netherlands Holland Ans van Haaster 22 Amsterdam
Honduras Honduras María Elena Bobadilla 21 San Pedro Sula
British Hong Kong Hong Kong Faustina Lin 22 Hong Kong Island
Iceland Iceland Ásdís Loftsdóttir 20 Vestmannaeyjar
India India Kalpana Iyer 22 Amroha
Republic of Ireland Ireland Lorraine O'Conner 24 Cork
 Isle of Man Carole Ann Kneale 20 Douglas
Israel Israel Sari Alon[22] 19 Tiberias
Italy Italy Loren Cristina Mai 17 Mantua
Jamaica Jamaica Joan McDonald[23] 22 Kingston
Japan Japan Yuko Yamaguchi 21 Tokyo
 Jersey Chantal Gosselin 21 Saint Helier
Malaysia Malaysia Kartina Osir 22 Sandakan
Malta Malta Mary Cumbo 18 Birkirkara
Mauritius Mauritius Genevieve Chanea 19 Curepipe
Mexico Mexico Martha Ortiz[18] 18 Mexico City
New Zealand New Zealand Lorian Tangney 20 Wellington
Nigeria Nigeria Irene Omagbemi 20 Lagos
Norway Norway Elisabet Klaeboe 17 Oslo
Paraguay Paraguay Susana Galli 19 Asunción
Peru Peru Karen Noeth 18 Lima
Philippines Philippines Louvette Hammond[24] 17 Quezon City
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico María Jesús Cañizares 21 San Juan
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent June de Nobriga[25] 23 Kingstown
Samoa Samoa Rosalina Sapolu 23 Apia
Singapore Singapore Rosie Tan[26] 21 Singapore
South Korea South Korea Je Eun-jin 19 Seoul
Spain Spain Gloria Valenciano 23 Tenerife
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Manohori Vanigasooriya 20 Colombo
Eswatini Swaziland Nyamalele Nilovu 21 Mbabane
Sweden Sweden Ossie Carlsson 21 Stockholm
Switzerland Switzerland Jeannette Keller[27] 20 Zürich
French Polynesia Tahiti Moeata Schmouker[28] 18 Puna'auia
Thailand Thailand Orasa Panichapan 20 Bangkok
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Kathleen Thomas 21 Port of Spain
Tunisia Tunisia Malek Nemlaghi[7] 19 Tunis
Turkey Turkey Sevil Özgültekin 18 Istanbul
United Kingdom United Kingdom Elizabeth Ann Jones 20 Welshpool
United States United States Debra Jean Freeze 20 Mooresville
United States Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands Enid Francis 18 Saint Croix
Uruguay Uruguay Mabel Rúa 21 Montevideo
Venezuela Venezuela Patricia Tóffoli 18 Coro

Notes

  1. ^ Ages at the time of the pageant

References

  1. ^ a b "Argentinian picked Miss World". Lodi News-Sentinel. 17 November 1978. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Argentine girl is Miss World". The Daily News. Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. 20 November 1978. p. 17. Retrieved 12 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Mitote, Pascal (8 March 2015). "Pascale Taurua, Miss France 1978". Polynésie la 1ère (in French). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  4. ^ Gnipate, Steeven (5 March 2015). "Que devient la Calédonienne Pascale Taurua, Miss France 1978?" [What happens to Caledonian Pascale Taurua, Miss France 1978?]. Outre-mer la 1ère (in French). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b Lazaar, Liane (11 December 2021). "Miss France : Une reine de beauté est la mère d'un comédien de Scènes de ménages !" [Miss France: A beauty queen is the mother of a Scènes de Ménages actor!]. Purepeople (in French). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Miss World". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Reuters. 14 November 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Trove.
  7. ^ a b "Face fuss". The Paris News. Paris, Texas. 26 November 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Miss World". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. 15 November 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Trove.
  9. ^ "Miss South Africa out, so S'pore to take part". The Straits Times. 25 August 1978. p. 9. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via National Library Board.
  10. ^ "Angelyn shapes up nicely..." Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 28 April 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Trove.
  11. ^ Evans, MJ (2014). Broadcasting the End of Apartheid. I.B.Tauris. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-85772-417-5. OCLC 1006045407.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Argentine beauty named 'Miss World'". The Hour. 17 November 1978. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  13. ^ "People in the news". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. 16 November 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 12 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Burton-Titular, Joyce (1 October 2013). "From Vivien to Megan: The PH in Miss World history". Rappler. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Untitled". Amigoe (in Dutch). Curaçao. 18 October 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Delpher.
  16. ^ "Denise heads for stardom". The Australian Women's Weekly. 4 October 1978. p. 15. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Trove.
  17. ^ "Kniggetrainerin: Job mit Takt" [Etiquette trainer: Job with tact]. Vorarlberg Online (in German). 5 February 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  18. ^ a b Flores, Mariana (27 May 2022). "Respira profundo al ver a Maribel Guardia y la esposa de José María Napoleón en un concurso de belleza: FOTO" [Take a deep breath when you see Maribel Guardia and the wife of José María Napoleón in a beauty contest: PHOTO]. El Heraldo de México (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  19. ^ Pujols, Daniela (24 March 2020). "El día en que la diseñadora Jenny Polanco participó en Miss Mundo" [The day designer Jenny Polanco participated in Miss World]. Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Cita solidaria de reinas ecuatorianas" [Solidarity appointment of Ecuadorian queens]. El Universo (in Spanish). 11 July 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  21. ^ Lindfors, Jukka (28 October 2009). "Seija Paakkola, Miss Suomi 1978". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Beauty queens all". The Australian Jewish Times. Sydney, New South Wales. 15 June 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via Trove.
  23. ^ "Former Miss Jamaica World now wellness ambassador". The Gleaner. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  24. ^ Villano, Alexa (22 April 2016). "8 fun facts: Bb Pilipinas Intercontinental 2016 Jennifer Hammond". Rappler. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  25. ^ "A history of pageantry in SVG 1951 to 2019". One News St.Vincent. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Rosie: My 'mission' was to promote S'pore". New Nation. 18 November 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 17 May 2023 – via National Library Board.
  27. ^ "Miss Schweiz Archiv" [Miss Switzerland Archive]. Schweizer Illustrierte (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  28. ^ "60 ans de Miss Tahiti : (re)découvrez toutes les lauréates du concours" [60 years of Miss Tahiti: (re)discover all the winners of the competition]. Polynésie la 1ère (in French). 31 May 2022 [27 April 2021]. Retrieved 17 May 2023.