1976
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All except 3 of the 69 contestants are in this group photo before nine of them withdrew (shown by *) in protest against the presence of two South African entries - one white and one black - in conformity with the apartheid policy of racial separation.

Bottom  Africa South, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France & Germany

Middle  Gibraltar, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India*, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Korea, Lebanon, Liberia*, Luxembourg, Malaysia*, Malta & Mexico

Top  New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines*, Puerto Rico, Seychelles*, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka*, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, U.S.A., Uruguay, Virgin Islands & Yugoslavia*

Absent  Mauritius*, Swaziland* & Venezuela

 

Miss World 1976
- an amalgam of news reports -

Miss Jamaica, 22-year-old Cindy Breakspeare, was chosen Miss World 1976 in a contest marred by the withdrawal of nine contestants protesting South Africa’s race policies.

The new Miss World, a brown-haired West Indian, is a physical education teacher.  She is 5-feet-6 and her measurements were given as 35-24-36.  She said she hopes to open a health food restaurant someday.

She was crowned by Miss World 1975, Wilnelia Merced of Puerto Rico.  The hazel-eyed Miss Breakspeare won a prize of 5,000 pounds ($8,500) and the chance to earn an additional 20,000 pounds ($34,000) during her year-long reign.

Miss Australia, 19-year-old Karen Jo Pini, finished second.  Then came Miss Guan, Diana Duenas, 17, third;  Miss United Kingdom, Carol Grant, 19, fourth, and Miss Finland, Merja Tammi, 21, fifth.

“It has been so hectic I haven’t even had time for my jog this morning,” said Cindy Breakspeare as she sipped coffee over breakfast the next morning.

She likes to keep fit with a morning run.  But after winning the Miss World title she’d celebrated until 4 a.m., snatched a couple of hours’ sleep, then was up at 6 to telephone her mother in Jamaica before setting off on a round of engagements.

In Jamaica, many residents of the Caribbean island were enthusiastic about Miss Breakspeare’s victory even though the Jamaican government had not officially sponsored her participation in the contest.

Just hours before the final judging in the crowded Royal Albert Hall, the governments of the Philippines and Yugoslavia pulled their contestants out of the competition to protest the racist image projected by the presence of two South African entrants, one black and one white.

Seven other black or brown governments - India, Mauritius, Swaziland, Liberia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Malaysia - withdrew their representatives earlier in the week.  But 60 young women remained in the competition.

Earlier it was thought Miss Trinidad-Tobago had been withdrawn Thursday because her government ordered its ambassador in London to boycott the contest.  But that did not stop her from competing.

Organizers had feared a “sensational, last-minute” walkout by others before the televised contest Thursday night.

“The girls were very disappointed,” said Miss Breakspeare.  “There were some others who thought they might have to pull out, but fortunately in the end they did not.  But it was unpleasant for every one of us.”

A boycott of the competition was urged by the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SANROC), which had a hand in the African and Arab boycott of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.


El Salvador, Finland & France

Swaziland, Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland & Korea

Colombia, Tahiti & Peru

Photographers' favourites
Top  Brazil, Australia, United Kingdom & U.S.A.
Bottom  Belgium, Finland, Argentina, Denmark & Israel

 


Argentina

Ecuador

Finland

Jamaica

Spain

U.S.A.

Venezuela

Virgin Islands

 

1976 November 18
London, England
60 entries

Results
1  Jamaica  Cynthia "Cindy" Jean Breakspeare
2  Australia  Karen Jo Pini
3  Guam  Diane Marie Roberts Duenas
4  United Kingdom  Carol Jean Grant
5  Finland  Merja Helena Tammi 

Finalists
6  Holland  Stephanie Flatow
7  Turkey  Jale Bayhan

Semi-finalists
Argentina  Adriana Laura Salgueiro 
Ireland  Jakki Moore
Israel  Levana Abarbanel
Puerto Rico  Ivette Rosado
Singapore  Pauline Poh Neo Cheong
Spain  Luz Maria Polegre Hernández
Trinidad & Tobago  Patricia Anderson Leon
Venezuela  Maria Genoveva Rivero Giménez

Remainder
Africa South  Veronica Rozette Kuki Matsepe
Aruba  Maureen Wever
Austria  Monika Muhlbauer
Bahamas  Mazorian "Zoie" Larona Miller
Belgium  Yvette Maria Aelbrecht
Bermuda  Vivienne Anne Hollis
Brazil
 Adelaide Fraga de Oliveira Filha
Canada  Pamela Mercer
Chile  Maria Cristina Cranzow
Colombia  Maria Loretta Celedón Holguin
Costa Rica  Ligia Maria Ramos Quesada 
Curacao  Viveca Francisca Marchena
Cyprus  Andri Tsangaridou
Denmark  Susanne Juul Hansen
Dominican Republic  Jennyfer del Carmen Corporan Viñas
Ecuador  Marie Clare Fontaine Velasco
El Salvador  Soraya Comandari Zanotti
France  Monique Uldaric
Germany  Monika Schneeweiss
Gibraltar  Rosemarie Parody
Greece  Rania Theofilou
Guatemala  Marta Elisa Tirado Richardson
Honduras  
Maribel Ileana Ayala Ramírez
Hong Kong  Christine Leung Ching-Man
Iceland  Sigridur Helga Olgeirsdóttir
Italy  Antonella Lombrosi
Japan  Noriko Asakuno
Jersey  Susan Hughes
Korea  Shin Byoung-sook
Lebanon  Souad Nakhoul
Luxembourg  Monique Wilmes
Malta  Jane Benedicta Saliba
Mexico  Carla Jean Evert Reguera
New Zealand  Anne Clifford
Norway  Nina Kristine Ronneberg
Paraguay  Maria Cristina Fernández Samaniego 
Peru  
Rocío Rita Lazcano Mujica
South Africa  Lynn Massyn
Sweden  Ann-Christin "Anki" Gernandt
Switzerland  Ruth Crottet
Tahiti  Patricia Mareva Servonnat
Thailand  Duangcheewan Komolsen
U.S.A.  Kimberly Marre Foley
Uruguay  Sara Alaga Valega
Virgin Islands  Denise La Franque

Awards
Miss Personality  Africa South
Miss Photogenic  Ireland

Withdrew
India  Naina Sudhir Balsavar
Liberia  Lorraine Wede Johnson
Malaysia  Che Puteh Naziadin
Mauritius  Anne-Lise Lesur
Philippines  Josephine Salazar Conde
Seychelles  Lynn Elisca Gobine
Sri Lanka  Tamara Ingrid Subramanian 
Swaziland  Zanella Tutu Tshabalala
Yugoslavia  Slavica Stefanovic


Top 7
Guam, Turkey, Holland, Australia, United Kingdom, Jamaica & Finland


Turkey was serenaded by French singer Sacha Distel

Eric Morley and the 4 runner-ups watched Miss World 1975 crown the winner


Finland (4th runner-up), Guam (2nd runner-up), Jamaica (winner), Australia (1st runner-up) & United Kingdom (3rd runner-up)

Cross-references to some of the other pageants

Belgium  Europe 1976, Universe 1976 & International 1977
Bermuda  Universe 1976
Canada
 Universe 1977 (Miss Friendship)
Costa Rica  Ambar 1976 (semi-finalist)
Cyprus
 Universe 1974 & Europe 1976
Dominican Republic
  Ambar 1977
Finland
  Young International 1975 (winner)
France
 Europe 1976 & Universe 1976
Greece
  International 1976
Holland
 Europe 1970 (3rd runner-up)
India (withdrew)
  Universe 1976
Ireland
 Universe 1977
Lebanon
 Universe 1975
Liberia (withdrew)  Universe 1976
Luxembourg
 Europe 1976 & Universe 1976
Malta
  Universe 1977
Mexico
  Universe 1976, Young International 1976 & Ambar 1977 (3rd runner-up)
Peru
  Universe 1976
South Africa
  Teenage Intercontinental 1977 (semi-finalist)
Spain
 Universe 1977 (semi-finalist)
Sri Lanka (withdrew) 
Asia 1979
Tahiti
  International 1976
United Kingdom
 Universe-Scotland 1976 (3rd runner-up)
Uruguay
  Ambar 1975 & International 1978