1977
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All of the original 73 contestants are in this group photograph.  Later, Miss Italy was disqualified and 10 more withdrew (shown by *) in protest against a white Miss South Africa.

After 1977, Miss World organizers did not accept South African contestants until 1991, with the end of apartheid.

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

Middle  Greece, Guam, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India*, Indonesia*, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy (disqualified), Jamaica*, Japan, Jersey, Korea, Lebanon, Liberia*, Luxembourg, Malaysia*, Malta, Mauritius*, Mexico & New Zealand

Top  Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines*, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Singapore*, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland*, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, U.S.A., Uruguay, Venezuela & Yugoslavia*

 

Miss World 1977
- an amalgam of news reports -

Marie Ann-Catrin Stavins, a farmer’s daughter who was mowing hay last summer when she was asked to replace Miss Sweden, was named Miss World 1977 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.  She cried tears of joy and bewilderment after a contest marred again by protests over South Africa’s racial policy.

“I thought they’d choose anyone but me.  I never expected it to be me,” the blond, blue-eyed 20-year-old sobbed as outgoing Miss World Cindy Breakspeare of Jamaica crowned her Thursday night.

Second was Miss Holland, 25-year-old model Ineke Berends; third, Miss Germany, 23-year-old law student Dagmar-Gabrielle Winkler; fourth, Miss Brazil, 21-year-old student Madalena Sbaraini, and fifth, Miss United States, 20-year-old psychology student Cindy Miller of Chesapeake, Va.

Outside the hall, 20 banner-waving demonstrators chanted, “Racism out, sexism out, equality in” before the show and stink bombs were thrown.  Feminists say the contest degrades women.

Ten participants were withdrawn by their governments to protest the inclusion of Miss South Africa, 20-year-old white model Vanessa Wannenburg.  South Africa’s white government has been the target of diplomatic, sports and other sanctions for its apartheid policy.

Governments withdrew contestants from Indonesia, Jamaica, Liberia, Yugoslavia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, the Philippines, India and Swaziland.  Those women sat glumly behind the 10 judges - including world motorcycle champion Barry Sheene of Britain, American singer-actor Mickey Dolenz and British actor Robert Powell - as American singer Andy Williams interviewed the contestants.

Singer Andy Williams was master of ceremonies, singing in intervals

Miss Stavins, a gymnastics student with as 32-24-35 figure, became Miss Sweden after the winner decided to go to the competing Miss Universe pageant in the United States.  Organizers made a telephone call to Miss Stavins and asked her to represent Sweden in the Miss World show. 

“I didn’t think I’d have a chance, but it sounded fun so I said yes,” she recalled.  The first thing she did after winning was to call her boyfriend, architect Perove Janrnsson, 25.  “I’ve been here three weeks and I miss him terribly,” she said.  “Marriage? Oh, no - I’m too young.”


Italy & Malta were disqualified for being 15, two years underage


 

Holland, 25, & Denmark, 16, were both one year outside the age limits but were not disqualified


Mexico & New Zealand

United Kingdom & U.S.A.


Sweden, Switzerland & Tahiti


Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Papua New Guinea, United Kingdom (back, in green), Switzerland, Sweden, Venezuela & Yugoslavia

 

1977 November 17
London, England
62 entries

Results
1  Sweden  Mary Ann-Catrin St
ävin
2  Holland  Ineke Berends
3  Germany  Dagmar Gabriele Winkler
4  Brazil  Madalena Sbaraíni
5  U.S.A.  Cindy Darlene Miller

Finalists
6  United Kingdom  Madeleine Karen Stringer
7  Australia  Jaye-Leanne Hopewell

Semi-finalists
Austria  Eva Maria Duringer
Denmark  Anette Dybdal Simonsen
Finland  Asta Seppälä
France  Véronique Fagot
Mexico
 Elizabeth Aguilar González
Peru  Maria Isabel Frias Zavala
Spain  Guillermina Ruiz Doménech
Switzerland  Daniela Patricia Haberli

Remainder
Argentina  Susana Beatriz Stéfano
Aruba  Helene Maria Croes 
Bahamas  Laurie Lee Joseph
Belgium  Claudine Marie Vasseur
Bermuda  Connie Marie Frith
Bolivia  Elizabeth Ianonne Morón
Canada  Marianne McKeen
Cayman Islands  Patricia Jane Jackson-Patiño
Chile  Anne Marie Garling
Colombia  Maria Clara O'Byrne Aycardi 
Costa Rica  Carmen Maria Núñez Benavides
Curacao  Xiomara Marie Winklaar
Cyprus  Georgia Georgiou
Dominican Republic  Jackeline Patricia Hernández
Ecuador  Lucia del Carmen Hernández Quiñones
El Salvador  Magaly Varela Rivera
Gibraltar  Lourdes Holmes
Greece  Lina Ioannou
Guam  Diane Haun
Honduras  Maria Marlene Villela
Hong Kong  Ada Lui Shui-Yung
Iceland  Sigurlaug "Dilly" Halldórsdóttir
Ireland  Lorraine Bernadette Enriquez
Isle of Man  Helen Jean Shimmin
Israel  Ya’el Hovav
Japan  Chizuru Shigamura
Jersey  Blodwin Pritchard
Korea  Kim Soon-ae
Lebanon  Vera Alouane
Luxembourg  Jeannette Henriette Colling
Malta  Pauline Lewise Farrugia
New Zealand  Michele Jean Hyde
Nicaragua  Beatriz Obregón Lacayo
Norway  Åshild Jenny Ottesen
Panama  Anabelle Vallarino
Papua New Guinea  Sayah Karakuru
Paraguay  Maria Elizabeth Giardina
Puerto Rico  Didriana "Dee Dee" del Rio
Samoa  Ana Decima Schmidt
South Africa  Vanessa Wannenburg
Sri Lanka  Sharmini Helene Seneviratne
Tahiti  Thérese Amo
Thailand  Siriporn Savanglum 
Trinidad & Tobago  Marlene Villafaña
Turkey  Kamer Bulutote
Uruguay  Adriana María Umpierre Escudero
Venezuela  Jackeline van den Branden

Awards
Miss Personality  Paraguay
Miss Photogenic  Germany

Withdrew
India  Veena Prakash
Indonesia  Siti Mirza Nuria Arifin
Jamaica  Sandra Kong
Liberia  Welma Albertine Wani Campbell
Malaysia  Christine Mary Lim Lim Boey
Mauritius  Maria Ingrid Desmarais 
Philippines  Ana Melissa "Peachy" Ofilada Veneracion 
Singapore  Veronica Lourdes
Swaziland  Zanella Tutu Tshabalala 
Yugoslavia  Svetlana Visnjic

Disqualified
Italy  Anna Maria Kanakis (15, underage)

Replaced
Malta  Janice Galea (15, underage)


Photographers' choices
Top  Austria, South Africa, Philippines & Sweden
Bottom  United Kingdom, Brazil, U.S.A., Germany & Australia

Finland

Germany


Sweden


Bottom  Germany (2nd runner-up), Sweden (winner) & Holland (1st runner-up)
Top  U.S.A. (4th runner-up) & Brazil (3rd runner-up)

Cross-references to some of the other pageants

Aruba  Ambar 1977 (semi-finalist)
Austria  Universe 1977 (1st runner-up) & Europe 1978 (winner)
Belgium
 Universe 1977
Bermuda  Universe 1977
Bolivia  Ambar 1977 (winner), International 1977 & Young International 1977 (Miss Friendship)
Ecuador
 Universe 1977
France
 Universe 1977, Europe 1978 & International 1978
Germany
 Universe 1973, International 1977 (1st runner-up) & Europe 78 (1st runner-up)
Holland
 Universe 1977 (semi-finalist)
Honduras  International 1977
Iceland  Scandinavia 1978 & International 1978
Indonesia (withdrew)  Universe 1977
Ireland
 Europe 1978, Universe 1978 (semi-finalist) & International 1978 (4th runner-up)
Italy (disqualified)
  Universe 1981 & Europe 1981 (2nd runner-up)
Liberia (withdrew)
 Universe 1977
Malta
 Universe 1978
Mauritius (withdrew)  Asia 1977
Nicaragua
 Int'l Queen of Coconut 1973 (winner) & Universe 1977 (semi-finalist)
Norway  Universe 1977, Scandinavia 1978 (1st runner-up) & Europe 1978

Papua New Guinea
  Universe 1977 & Asia 1977
Peru  Ambar 1976 (semi-finalist) & Universe 1977
Philippines (withdrew)  Ambar 1978 (3rd runner-up)
Spain
 Europe 1978 & Universe 1978 (2nd runner-up)
Swaziland (withdrew)  Teenage Intercontinental 1977
Switzerland
 International 1978
Thailand  Asia 1978 (winner)

Uruguay
  Young International 1977 & Universe 1977