| Miss Universe 1979 |
| Date |
20 July 1979 (local time) |
| Presenters |
Bob Barker, Helen O'Connell and Jayne Kennedy |
| Entertainment |
Donny Osmond |
| Venue |
Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth, Australia |
| Broadcaster |
CBS, TVW |
| Entrants |
75 |
| Placements |
12 |
| Debuts |
Bophuthatswana, Fiji, Transkei |
| Withdraws |
Bonaire, Curaçao, Lebanon, Lesotho, New Hebrides, Nicaragua, Samoa |
| Returns |
Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Portugal |
| Winner |
Maritza Sayalero
 Venezuela |
| Congeniality |
Yurika Kuroda
 Japan |
| Best National Costume |
Elizabeth Busti
 Uruguay |
| Photogenic |
Carolyn Seaward
 England |
Countries and territories which sent delegates and results.
Miss Universe 1979 was held at Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth, Australia on 20 July 1979. 18-year-old Maritza Sayalero earned Venezuela's first Miss Universe crown. First runner-up Gina Swainson would go on to win the rival Miss World 1979 later in the year. Seventy-five contestants competed in the 1979 Miss Universe Pageant.
[edit] Results
[edit] Placements
| Final results |
Contestant |
| Miss Universe 1979 |
|
| 1st runner-up |
|
| 2nd runner-up |
|
| 3rd runner-up |
 Brazil - Martha Jussara da Costa
|
| 4th runner-up |
 Sweden - Annette Marie Ekström
|
| Top 12 |
|
[edit] Semifinal Scores
| Country |
Preliminary Average |
Interview |
Swimsuit |
Evening Gown |
Semifinal Average |
| Venezuela |
8.461 (1) |
9.362 (1) |
9.135 (1) |
9.416 (1) |
9.305 (1) |
 Bermuda |
7.578 (9) |
8.872 (2) |
9.027 (2) |
9.100 (2) |
9.000 (2) |
| England |
8.227 (2) |
8.671 (3) |
8.591 (4) |
8.936 (3) |
8.733 (3) |
 Brazil |
7.715 (5) |
8.509 (4) |
8.764 (3) |
8.818 (4) |
8.697 (4) |
| Sweden |
7.800 (4) |
8.300 (5) |
8.127 (7) |
8.409 (6) |
8.279 (5) |
 South Africa |
8.103 (3) |
7.918 (10) |
8.330 (5) |
8.454 (5) |
8.234 (6) |
 Belize |
7.654 (7) |
8.118 (7) |
8.279 (6) |
8.118 (10) |
8.172 (7) |
 USA |
7.676 (6) |
8.100 (8) |
7.709 (12) |
8.335 (7) |
8.048 (8) |
 Germany |
7.542 (10) |
8.125 (6) |
7.882 (10) |
8.118 (10) |
8.042 (9) |
 Scotland |
7.609 (8) |
7.764 (11) |
8.118 (8) |
8.218 (8) |
8.033 (10) |
 Argentina |
7.515 (11) |
8.009 (9) |
8.045 (9) |
8.021 (12) |
8.025 (11) |
 Wales |
7.345 (12) |
7.380 (12) |
7.818 (11) |
8.150 (9) |
7.783 (12) |
|
- Winner
- First Runner-up
- Second Runner-up
- Third Runner-up
- Fourth Runner-up
- Top 12 Semifinalist
- (#) Rank in each round of competition
|
[edit] Special Awards
| Award |
Contestant |
| Best National Costume |
|
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Miss Photogenic |
|
[edit] Contestants
[edit] Preliminary Swimsuit Scores
- 8.673 Venezuela
- 8.382 England
- 8.218 South Africa
- 7.936 Belize
- 7.899 Sweden
- 7.791 Wales
- 7.773 Brazil
- 7.600 Uruguay
- 7.591 Singapore
- 7.582 Austria
- 7.564 Scotland
- 7.536 Germany
- 7.491 Holland
- 7.455 Portugal
- 7.445 Bermuda
- 7.418 Réunion
- 7.418 Spain
- 7.409 Peru
- 7.400 Switzerland
|
- 7.373 USA
- 7.173 France
- 7.141 Hong Kong
- 7.127 Australia
- 7.127 St. Vincent
- 7.077 Finland
- 6.991 Denmark
- 6.945 Colombia
- 6.936 Argentina
- 6.873 Costa Rica
- 6.845 Mexico
- 6.818 Canada
- 6.809 Bophuthatswana
- 6.800 Japan
- 6.736 Dominican Republic
- 6.727 New Zealand
- 6.718 Ireland
- 6.718 Sri Lanka
- 6.655 Malta
|
- 6.636 Norway
- 6.627 Chile
- 6.563 Trinidad & Tobago
- 6.555 Barbados
- 6.545 Israel
- 6.545 Puerto Rico
- 6.536 Honduras
- 6.518 Malaysia
- 6.473 Surinam
- 6.439 Korea
- 6.427 Philippines
- 6.409 Guatemala
- 6.309 Turkey
- 6.291 Thailand
- 6.286 Paraguay
- 6.209 Belgium
- 6.155 Bolivia
- 6.127 Greece
- 6.118 Iceland
|
- 6.109 Guam
- 6.091 El Salvador
- 6.082 India
- 6.068 Italy
- 6.064 Aruba
- 5.982 Bahamas
- 5.882 Tahiti
- 5.791 Ecuador
- 5.727 Panama
- 5.727 US Virgin Islands
- 5.641 Northern Mariana Islands
- 5.591 Transkei
- 5.582 Antigua
- 5.582 Fiji
- 5.545 Mauritius
- 5.364 British Virgin Islands
- 5.355 Papua New Guinea
|
[edit] Trivia
- Bophuthatswana, Fiji, and Transkei competed in Miss Universe for the first time.
- Belize and Bermuda made the semi-finals for the first (and in Belize's case, only thus far) time. Bermuda placed 1st runner-up in Miss Universe and was also crowned as Miss World 1979 four months later.
- England, Scotland and Wales had made into the semi-finals in Miss Universe for the second time after 1976. England, however, placed as 2nd runner-up in Miss Universe. She also became the 1st runner-up in Miss World 1979 four months later, represented as Miss United Kingdom.
- Other than Bermuda and England, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mauritius also competed in Miss World four months later. Germany, Andrea Hontschik made into the semi-finals in both Miss Universe and Miss World at the same year. Austria's Karin Zorn made the semi-finals here and later the finals of Miss World that same year. She also won the award for Miss Photogenic in Miss World.
- 20 contestants were involved in the collapse of part of the stage after contestants and news photographers rushed to the throne of the new Miss Universe. Costa Rica, Carla Facio Franco, and Philippines, Criselda Flores Cecilio, had suffered bruises. Malta, Dian Borg Bartolo, and Turkey, Fusin Tahire Dermitan, had leg injuries.
[edit] Panel of Judges
[edit] External links
Venezuela
Japan
Uruguay
England
