Miss World 1979

Miss World 1979
Countries and territories which sent delegates and results for Miss World 1979
Date	15 November 1979
Presenters	Esther Rantzen and Sacha Distel
Venue	Royal Albert Hall, London, UK
Broadcaster	BBC
Entrants	70
Debuts	Lesotho
Withdrawals	Curaçao, St. Vincent, Tunisia
Returns	Bolivia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Panama, Portugal
Winner	Gina Swainson Bermuda
Personality	Anne-Marie Franke Guam
Photogenic	Karin Zorn Austria

Miss World 1979, the 29th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 15 November 1979 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK. The winner was Gina Swainson from Bermuda. She was crowned by Miss World 1978, Silvana Suarez of Argentina. First runner-up was Carolyn Seaward representing the United Kingdom and second runner-up was Debbie Campbell from Jamaica. Swainson was a first runner-up in Miss Universe 1979 represented Bermuda and Carolyn Seaward was a second runner-up in same pageant represented England.

Live television coverage of the contest was largely abandoned by the BBC as a result of a trade union dispute typical of the era in Britain, when sound engineers refused to work, and the BBC decided shortly beforehand that it could not show live pictures without a commentary. The parade of the contestants in their national costumes and each of the entrants in their evening wear had been recorded the night before, so this was televised, followed later in the evening with the crowning of the winner with mute pictures narrated by Ray Moore. A unscheduled repeat of Futtocks End was televised to bridge the two segments. For later overseas transmission, a commentary was added to the silent pictures of the entire event, but the interviews with the final 7 contestants were never shown.

Results

Placements

Final results	Contestant
Miss World 1979	Bermuda – Gina Swainson
1st Runner-up	United Kingdom – Carolyn Seaward
2nd Runner-up	Jamaica – Debbie Campbell
3rd Runner-up	Australia – Jodie Anne Day
4th Runner-up	Switzerland – Barbara Meyer
Top 7	Austria – Karin Zorn Brazil – Lea Silvia Dall'acqua
Top 15	Germany – Andrea Hontschik Malaysia – Shirley Chew Mexico – Roselina Rosas Torres Panama – Lorelay de la Ossa Spain – María Dolores Forner Toro Trinidad & Tobago – Marlene Coggins United States – Carter Wilson Uruguay – Laura Rodríguez Delgado

Contestants

Country	Contestant	Age	Hometown
Argentina	Verónica Ivonne Gargani	19	Buenos Aires
Aruba	Vianca Maria Magdalena van Hoek	20	Oranjestad
Australia	Jodie Anne Day	18	Brisbane
Austria	Karin Zorn	18	Weiz
Bahamas	Deborah Elizabeth Major	20	Nassau
Belgium	Christine Linda Bernadette Cailliau	23	Brussels
Bermuda	Gina Ann Cassandra Swainson	21	St. George's Parish
Bolivia	Patricia Asbún Galarza	20	Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Brazil	Léa Sílvia dall’Acqua	20	Campinas
Canada	Catherine Emily Mackintosh	23	Thunder Bay
Cayman Islands	Jennifer Pearl Jackson	21	George Town
Chile	Marianela Verónica Toledo Rojas	19	Santiago
Colombia	Rosaura Mercedes Rodríguez Covo	17	Cartagena
Costa Rica	Marianela Brealey Mora	17	San José
Cyprus	Eliana Djiaboura	24	Nicosia
Denmark	Lone Gladys Jörgensen	18	Holstebro
Dominican Republic	Sabrina Alejandra Brugal Tillán	18	Santo Domingo
Ecuador	Olba Lourdes Padilla Guevara	18	Guayaquil
El Salvador	Judith Ivette Lopez Lagos	19	San Salvador
Finland	Tuire Venla Sulotar Pentikäinen	23	Helsinki
France	Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera	18	Marseille
Germany	Andrea Hontschik †	20	Berlin
Gibraltar	Audrey Lopez	21	Gibraltar
Greece	Mika Dimitropoulou	17	Athens
Guam	Anne-Marie Kay Franke	18	Hagatna
Guatemala	Michele Marie Domínguez Santos	19	Guatemala City
Holland	Nannetje Johanna Nielen	22	Amsterdam
Honduras	Gina Maria Weidner Cleaves	18	San Pedro Sula
Hong Kong	Mary Ng Mei Lai	21	Kowloon Bay
Iceland	Sigrún Sætran	24	Reykjavík
India	Raina Winifred Mendonica	22	Bombay
Ireland	Maura McMenamim	21	Dublin
Isle of Man	Kathleen Mary Craig	17	Douglas
Israel	Dana Feller	19	Tel-Aviv
Italy	Rossana Serratore	18	Asti
Jamaica	Debbie Rachelle Campbell	17	Kingston
Japan	Motomi Hibino	19	Nagoya
Jersey	Treena Alison Foster	21	Saint Helier
Korea	Hong Yeo-jin	21	Seoul
Lebanon	Jacqueline Riachi	19	Beirut
Lesotho	Pauline Essie Kanedi	22	Maseru
Malaysia	Shirley Bernaddine Chew	18	Kangar
Malta	Elena Christine Abela	17	Sliema
Mauritius	Maria Allard	24	Port Louis
Mexico	Roselina Rosas Torres	19	Durango City
New Zealand	Nicola Lesley Duckworth	17	Auckland
Nigeria	Helen Prest	20	Ibadan
Norway	Jeanette Aarum	20	Fredrikstad
Panama	Lorelay de la Ossa Chevalier	19	Panama City
Paraguay	Martha Maria Galli Romañach	19	Asunción
Peru	Lucia Magali Pérez-Godoy Quintanilla	18	Lima
Philippines	Josefina Molon Francisco	18	Manila
Portugal	Ana Gonçalves Vieira	18	Lisbon
Puerto Rico	Daisy Marissette López	18	San Juan
Singapore	Violet Lee	20	Singapore
Spain	María Dolores Forner Toro	19	Madrid
Sri Lanka	Shamila Weerasooriya	17	Colombo
Swaziland	Gladys Adelaide Carmichael	17	Manzini
Sweden	Ing-Marie Säveby	19	Stockholm
Switzerland	Barbara Mayer	21	Marly
Tahiti	Thilda Raina Fuller	24	Pape'ete
Thailand	Tipar Suparbpun	22	Bangkok
Trinidad and Tobago	Marlene Elizabeth Coggins	21	San Fernando
Turkey	Sebnem Unal	18	Istanbul
United Kingdom	Carolyn Ann Seaward	20	Yelverton
United States	Carter Wilson	23	Harrisonburg
Uruguay	Laura Rodríguez Delgado	21	Montevideo
Venezuela	Tatiana Capote	18	Barinas
Virgin Islands	Jasmine Olivia Turner	17	Saint Croix
Western Samoa	Danira Leilani Schwalger	19	Apia

Notes

Debuts

• Lesotho

Returns

• Last competed in 1973:
  • Portugal
• Last competed in 1976:
  • Guatemala
• Last competed in 1977:
  • Bolivia
  • Lebanon
  • Panama

External links

• Pageantopolis – Miss World 1979