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Bottom Africa South,
Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda,
Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao & Denmark
2nd row Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland,
France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guam, Guernsey, Haiti, Holland,
Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland & Israel
3rd row Italy. Japan, Jersey, Korea, Lebanon,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua,
Norway, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico & St Lucia
Top Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Spain
(withdrew), Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand,
Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, U.S.A., Uruguay, Venezuela & Yugoslavia |
Miss World 1975
- an amalgam
of news reports -
A
surprised 18-year-old school student from a small village in Puerto Rico
became the 25th Miss World.
Black-haired Wilnellia Merced’s reaction after being chosen in London’s
Royal Albert Hall was to say: “I cannot believe it. It is a complete
surprise.”
She was chosen by a panel of nine judges - five men and four women - from a
field of 67.
The olive-skinned beauty - the first Puerto Rican Miss World - talked of her
village, Caguas, saying: “The whole village will be jumping tonight with
joy.”
Miss Merced, 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall and 34-24-36, has appeared in
television commercials and said she soon will be starting a public relations
course.
With the winner’s crown the 25th Miss World also won a check for $6,300.
For the next 12 months she can expect to receive up to $100,000 in contracts
for personal appearances and fashion modeling.
Her first thought was to get home to her mother, father and sister to tell
them of her success. Her father runs a sporting goods store.
Runnerup was Miss Germany, 22-year-old photographic model Marina Langner, a
strawberry blonde with statistics of 35-23-35.
Miss United Kingdom, a brown-haired 22-year-old model, with statistics of
34-24-35, came in third.
Miss Cuba, Marisela Maxie Clark, a 22-year-old naturalized American with
statistics of 35-25-36, was fourth. Miss Clark, an actress and model, has
lived in the United States for 15 years. She was chosen to represent Cuban
exiles in
Florida.
Her title was disowned by the Cuban embassy in London.
First Secretary Angel Dalmau told a newsman earlier this week: “We do not
recognize her. We are not pleased this girl is going to represent our
country. She is American now and
Cuba
has not taken part in any of these contests since Dr. (Fidel) Castro took
over in 1959.”
Dalmau said: “It is the official policy of a socialist government like Cuba
not to give materialistic things to a girl simply because some people may
think she is beautiful.”
Miss Clark was chosen at a contest in
Fort Lauderdale,
Fla., an area of many exiles from Cuba.
The Miss World organizers said, “She represents free Cuba, or rather Cuba
libre” - but the official booklet of the competition listed Miss Clark as
Miss Cuba.
Miss Yugoslavia, Lidija Velkovska, a 19-year-old student, was fifth.
The two girls who finished in the last seven were Miss Haiti, 20-year-old
student Joelle Apollon; and Miss
Venezuela,
Maria Conchita Alonso Bustillo, a 20-year-old hospital worker.
Earlier Miss Spain, an 18-year-old student, withdrew because of the
death of General Franco. |
Saint Lucia |
Holland & Curacao |
Belgium |
France |
Luxembourg |
Miss Photogenic
Swaziland |
Puerto Rico |
Spain |
|
