1997
Home Up JUDGES 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Lists A to F Lists G to O Lists P to Z

   

Miss World 1997
- an amalgam of news reports -

A 24-year-old celebrity manager from India was crowned Miss World, defeating 85 competitors at the pageant on the Seychelles Islands.

Diane Hayden, a 5-foot-8 brunette, told reporters that the victory “means the world to me.”

Miss New Zealand, 18-year-old Laura Lee Martinovich, was second and Miss South Africa, law and psychology student Jessica Moguang, 24, finished third.

Contestants from 86 countries and territories were judged by a nine-member panel that included former Seychelles President James Mancham and American actor Lou Gossett Jr.

Hayden, holder of the Miss India title, is required to make 50 appearances to promote the Seychelles, a group of islands with 75,000 people in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Hayden, who runs her own celebrity management company in Bombay and hopes to launch a record label, said she would use part of her $95,000 prize money to help her family.

The winner said she also will postpone her upcoming wedding to fulfill her duties as Miss World.

President France Albert Rene, who has ruled the country since he overthrew Mancham in a 1977 coup, watched the pageant from a front-row seat.


Spain

Sweden & Croatia

Peru, Puerto Rico, Chile & Panama

Bosnia & Herzegovina

New Zealand

 

MISS WORLD 1997

1997 November 22
Baie Lazare, Seychelles
86 entries

Results
1  India  Diana Hayden
      Queen of Asia & Oceania
2  New Zealand  Lauralee Martinovich
3  South Africa  Jessica Motaung
      Queen of Africa

Finalists
4  Turkey  Cagla Sikel
      Queen of Europe
5  Thailand 
Tanya Tiana "Thaen" Suesuntisook

Semi-finalists
Australia  Laura Csortan (Universe '97)
Lebanon  Joëlle Georges Buhlok
Malaysia  Arianna Teoh Lai Poh
United Kingdom  Vicki-Lee Walberg
U.S.A.  Sallie Toussaint
      Queen of Americas

Remainder
American Virgin Islands  Taisha Regina Gomes
Argentina  Natalia Pombo
Aruba  Michella Laclé Croes
Austria  Susanne Nagele (Queen of the World '97)
Bahamas  Alevta Adderley
Belgium  Sandrine Corman (Universe '98)
Bolivia  Mitzy Suárez Saucedo
Bosnia & Herzegovina  Elma Terzic
Botswana  Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe (winner Universe '99)
Brazil  Fernanda Rambo Agnes
British Virgin Islands  Zoe Jennifer Walcott
Bulgaria  Simona Velitchkova
Canada  Keri-Lynn Power
Cape Verde  Carmelinda Gonçalves 
Cayman Islands  Cassandra Powell
Chile  Paulina Mladinic Zorzano
Colombia  Gladys Buitrago Caicedo (2nd RU Coffee '97, SF Latin America '98)
Costa Rica  Rebeca Escalante Trejos (3rd RU Coffee '97)
Croatia  Martina Novosel
Cyprus  Galatia Charalambidou (Tourism Int'l '96)
Czech Republic  Terezie Dobrovolna  (3rd RU Tourism Int'l '93, 2nd RU Queen of the Year '94)
Dominican Republic  Carolina Estrella Peña
Ecuador  Clio Olaya Frías 
Egypt  Amal Shawki Soliman
Estonia  Mairit Roosaar (Queen of the Year '97)
Finland  Minna Lehtinen (3rd RU Europe '99)
France  Laure Belleville (Universe '96)
Germany  Katja Glawe
Ghana  Benita Sena Golomeke
Gibraltar  Rosanna Ressa
Greece  Eugenia Limantzaki
Guatemala  Lourdes Mabel Valencia Bobadilla (3rd RU Coconut '95)
Holland  Sonja Aldina Silva
Honduras  Hansel Cristina Cáceres Teruel
Hong Kong  Vivian Lee Ming-Wai 
Hungary  Beata Petes
Ireland  Andrea Roche (SF Universe '98)
Israel  Mirit Greenberg
Italy  Irene Lippi
Jamaica  Michelle Moodie
      Queen of Caribbean Isles
Japan  Shinobu Saraie
Korea  Kim Jin-ah
Latvia  Liga Graudumniece (International '98, Intercontinental '99)
Lithuania  Asta Vysniauskaite
Macau  Agnes Lo Vai-Van (Chinese International '98)
Malta  Sarah Vella
Mexico  Blanca Delfina Soto Benavides 
Namibia  Sheya Shipanga (Universe '97)
Nepal  Jharana Bajracharya Rashid
Norway  Charlotte Hoiaasen
Panama  Patricia Aurora Bremner Hernández
Paraguay  Mariela Quiñónez García
Peru  Claudia Maria Luque Barrantas 
Philippines  Kristine Rachel Gumabao Florendo
Poland  Roksana Jonek (winner Tourism Int'l '98)
Portugal  Icília Silva Berenguel (Coffee '98, Universe '98, International '98)
Puerto Rico  Aurea Isis Marrero Nieves 
Russia  Liudmila Popova
Seychelles  Michelle Lane
Singapore  Jasmine Wong Chiew Peng
Slovak Republic  Marietta Sencakova
Slovenia  Maja Simec 
Spain  Nuria Avellaneda Gallego
Swaziland  Xoliswa Mkhonta
Sweden  Sofia Joelsson
Switzerland  Tanja Gutmann (Universe '98)
Taiwan  Fang Su-Ling
Tanzania  Saida Joy Kessy Sashays
Trinidad & Tobago  Mandy Jagdeo
Uganda  Lillian Acom
Ukraine  Kseniya Kuz’menko (SF Europe '01)
Uruguay  Ana González Kwasny
Venezuela  Christina Dieckmann Jiménez
Yugoslavia  Tamara Saponjic
Zambia  Tukuza Tembo
Zimbabwe  Una Patel

Awards
Miss Personality  Thailand
Miss Photogenic  India
Best in Evening Gown  Sweden
Best in Swimwear  India
Most Spectacular National Dress  New Zealand

Withdrew
Kazakhstan  Jamilya Bicembieva
Nigeria  Adanma Evoh


Portugal, Brazil, unknown, Malaysia, unknown, Japan, Nepal, Israel & Croatia

U.S.A., India, United Kingdom & South Africa

India

Portugal

South Africa (2nd RU), India (winner) & New Zealand (1st RU)

3rd RU
Turkey

4th RU
Thailand
Semi-finalists:
Australia

Lebanon

Malaysia

United Kingdom

U.S.A.