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Bottom
Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia,
Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark
& Dominican Republic
Second row Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France,
Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong,
Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man & Israel
Third row Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Korea, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru & Philippines
Top row Portugal, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Singapore, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom,
U.S.A., Uruguay, Venezuela & Virgin
Islands
Absent (late arrival) Nigeria |
Miss World 1979
- an amalgam
of news reports -
A
statuesque, young wine expert from
Bermuda, 21-year-old Gina Swainson,
was crowned the new Miss World over a field of 69 international beauties.
Gina Swainson, dark-haired, brown-eyed and a statuesque 5-9 with
measurements of 36-24-36, said she is “very happy and honored and this is a
honor for my country.”
She is studying oenology - the science of wines and winemaking - “because my
family owns a wine business in Bermuda and I find it very fascinating.”
Miss Swainson, who attended the University of Wisconsin for 18 months taking
general studies but left without graduating, was crowned at London’s Royal
Albert Hall.
Miss Swainson beat the 3-1 favourite, Carolyn Seaward of Great Britain, into
second place. Third was Miss Jamaica, Debbie Campbell, an 18-year-old
student.
Australia’s
Jodie Day was fourth and Switzerland’s Barbara Mayer was fifth.
Second-favorite in the betting for the title, Miss Swainson told reporters
after the big moment: “Just after I was crowned I cried. I thought Miss UK
would beat me and I was prepared for that. Now I propose to stay in London
and live here.”
Miss Bermuda who lists her hobbies as cooking, music and motorbike racing,
shed none of the tears that traditionally flow during the coronation.
She sat serenely on her throne when crowned by last year’s winner, Silvana
Suarez of Argentina, and only broke down when a tide of photographers and
journalists surged upon her after the event.
“I
was very tense before the competition,” she told reporters. “I wanted to
win, but did not think I had a chance.”
Miss Swainson said one of the first things she wanted to do after winning
the title was telephone her mother, who she said was in a Bermuda hospital
waiting to undergo surgery.
“I
know (the Miss World title) is going to cheer her up,” Miss Swainson said.
As
Miss World, she will receive $10,750 in prize money and a guaranteed $32,250
for a year’s work contract.
Afterwards, she celebrated at the Coronation Ball in London’s exclusive
Grosvenor House Hotel before retiring to bed in the early hours.
She was up bright and early this morning for a photo session and planned to
leave London this afternoon for the English Channel island of Jersey for a
weekend charity event.
A
last-minute strike by British Broadcasting Corp. television sound crews
interrupted the live transmission scheduled to reach 300 million viewers in
some 37 countries. They blacked the proceedings because of a dispute of pay
gradings.
It
meant that the huge audience expected to view the show saw only a minute of
the proceedings, and without any sound.
Instead of the annual swim suit parade, viewers saw a film entitled
“Futtocks End” a bawdy spoof about a week end visit to a country manor.
But the event went ahead as planned, and for Miss Swainson, the climactic
moment before a live audience in the 4,000-seat Albert Hall brought the
usual flood of tears to a beauty queen’s eyes. |

Spain & Venezuela |

U.S.A. & United Kingdom |

Finland & France |

Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand & Virgin Islands |

Mexico, Uruguay, El Salvador & Guatemala |

Dominican Republic, Spain, Ecuador & Venezuela |

Germany, Switzerland & France |
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Top 15
Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama,
Spain, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, U..S.A. & Uruguay |
|
1979 November 15
London, England
69 entries
Results
1 Bermuda Gina Ann Casandra Swainson
2 United Kingdom Carolyn Ann Seaward
3 Jamaica Debbie Rachelle Campbell
4 Australia Jodie Anne Day
5 Switzerland Barbara Mayer
Finalists
6 Brazil Léa Sílvia Dall'Acqua
7 Austria Karin Zorn
Semi-finalists
Germany Andrea Hontschik
Malaysia Shirley Chew
Mexico Roselina Rosas Torres
Panama Lorelay De la Ossa
Spain Maria Dolores "Lola" Forner Toro
Trinidad & Tobago Marlene Coggins
U.S.A. Carter Wilson
Uruguay Laura Rodriguez Delgado
Remainder
Argentina Veronica Ivonne Gargani
Aruba Vianca Maria Magdalena Hoek
Bahamas Deborah Elizabeth Major
Belgium Christine Linda Bernadette Cailliau
Bolivia Patricia Asbun Galarza
Canada Catherine Emily Mackintosh
Cayman Islands Jennifer Pearl Jackson
Chile Marianela Verónica Toledo Rojas
Colombia Rosaura Rodríguez Covo
Costa Rica Marianela Brealey Mora
Cyprus Eliana Djiaboura
Denmark Lone Gladys Jörgensen
Dominican Republic Sabrina Alejandra Brugal Tillan
Ecuador Olba Lourdes Padilla
El Salvador Judith Ivette Lopez Lagos
Finland Tuire Venla Sulotar Pentikäinen
France Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera
Gibraltar Audrey Lopez
Greece Mika Dimitropoulou
Guam Anne-Marie Kay Franke
Guatemala Michele Marie Domínguez Santos
Holland Nannetje Johanna Nielen
Honduras Gina Maria Weidner Cleaves
Hong Kong Mary Ng Mei-Lai
Iceland Sigrun Saetran
India Raina Winifred Mendonica
Ireland Maura McMenamim
Isle of Man Kathleen Mary Craig
Israel Dana Peler
Italy Rossana Serratore
Japan Motomi Hibino
Jersey Treena Alison Foster
Korea Hong Yeo-jin
Lebanon Jacqueline "Jacky" Riachi
Lesotho Pauline Essie Kanedi
Malta Elena Christine Abela
Mauritius Maria Chanea Allard
New Zealand Nicola Lesley Duckworth
Nigeria Helen Prest
Norway Jeanette Aarum
Paraguay Martha Maria Galli Romanach
Peru Lucia Magali Pérez
Godoy Quintanilla
Philippines Josefina Francisco
Portugal Ana Gonçalves Vieira
Puerto Rico Daisy Marissette Lopez
Singapore Violet Lee
Sri Lanka Shamila Weerasooriya
Swaziland Gladys Adelaide Carmichael
Sweden Ingrid Marie Säveby
Tahiti Thilda Raina Fuller
Thailand Tipar Suparbpun
Turkey Sebnem Unal
Virgin Islands Jasmine Olivia Turner
Western Samoa Danira Leilani Schwalger
Awards
Miss Personality Guam
Miss Photogenic Austria
Disqualified
Venezuela Tatiana Capote Abdel |

Tahiti, Spain, Korea & India |
|

Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland
& Denmark |
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Venezuela, Virgin Islands & Nigeria
One of Miss Venezuela's breasts slipped
out from the side during the
dress rehearsal, causing a displeased Eric Morley to disqualify her.
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Crowning by Miss World 1978,
Argentina's Silvana Suarez |

Australia (3rd runner-up), United Kingdom (1st
runner-up), Bermuda (winner), Jamaica (2nd runner-up) & Switzerland (4th
runner-up) |
Cross-references to some of the other pageants
Austria Universe 1979 & Europe 1980 (winner)
Belgium Universe 1979 & Europe 1980 (1st runner-up)
Bermuda Universe 1979 (1st runner-up)
Chile International 1978
Denmark Universe 1979, Scandinavia 1980 & Europe 1980
Dominican Republic Maja International 1981
El Salvador Universe 1979
France Universe 1979, Europe 1980 (Miss Elegance) & International
1980 (semi-finalist & Miss Photogenic)
Germany Universe 1979 (semi-finalist) & Europe 1980 (Top 7)
Greece Europe 1980
Guatemala Universe 1979
Holland International 1975 (semi-finalist) & Universe 1976
Honduras Universe 1979
Ireland Europe 1980 & Universe 1980
Mauritius Universe 1979
Norway Universe 1978, International 1978 (1st runner-up) &
Scandinavia 1979 (4th runner-up)
Panama Maja International 1979 (semi-finalist) & Latin
America 1981
Paraguay Universe 1980
Singapore Young International 1978 & Asia Pacific 1978
Spain Europe
1980 (2nd runner-up)
Tahiti Universe 1980 (semi-finalist) & Mrs World 1986
(semi-finalist & Mrs Photogenic)
United Kingdom Universe
1979 (2nd runner-up)
Virgin Islands Universe 1986 |
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