Miss World 1976 was the 26th edition of the Miss World pageant, held on 18 November 1976 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. The winner was Cindy Breakspeare from Jamaica. She was crowned by Miss World 1975, Wilnelia Merced of Puerto Rico. Runner-up was Karen Jo Pini representing Australia, third was Diana Marie Roberts Duenas from Guam, fourth was Carol Jean Grant of United Kingdom, and fifth was Merja Helena Tammi from Finland.
Background Selection of participants Several entrants were forced by their national governments to withdraw to boycott the presence of separate black and white contestants from apartheid South Africa.
Replacements Sandra Kong of Jamaica withdrew from the competition due to the apartheid system in South Africa. Subsequently, Cindy Breakspeare, a protégé of Haughton, was selected to represent Jamaica and went on to win the Miss World title.
Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals This edition marked the debut of Guatemala and the United States Virgin Islands and the return of French Polynesia (as Tahiti), which last competed in 1965, Chile last competed in 1969, Paraguay last competed in 1972, Cyprus last competed in 1973 and Ecuador, Jamaica and Spain last competed in 1974.
Barbados, Bolivia, Cuba, Guernsey, Haiti, Nicaragua, Saint Lucia and Tunisia, withdrew from the competition for unknown reasons. Naina Sudhir Balsavar of India, Che Puteh Che Naziauddin of Malaysia, Anne-Lise Lasur of Mauritius, Josephine “Joy” Salazar Conde of the Philippines, Lynn Elisea Gobine of Seychelles, Tamara Ingrid Subramanian of Sri Lanka, Zanella Tutu Tshabalala of Swaziland and Slavica Stefanović of Yugoslavia: withdrew from the competition due to protests against South Africa. Lorraine Wede Johnson of Liberia was supposed to compete but also withdrew from in the same reason. Jane Bird of Rhodesia, had flown to London to compete at Miss World. However, the organization did not allow her to compete due to Rhodesia's current political situation.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss World 1976 – Cindy Breakspeare 1st runner-up – Karen Pini 2nd runner-up – Diana Marie Duenas 3rd runner-up – Carol Jean Grant 4th runner-up – Merja Tammi Top 7 – Stephanie Flatow – Jale Bayhan Top 15 – Adriana Salguiero – Jakki Moore – Levana Abarbanel – Ivette Rosado – Pauline Poh – Luz María Polegre – Patricia Anderson Leon – Genoveva Rivero
Contestants 60 contestants competed for the title. Country/TerritoryContestantAgeHometown ArgentinaAdriana Salguiero19Tres ArroyosMaureen Wever20OranjestadKaren Pini19PerthMonika Mühlbauer17KarlstettenLarona Miller19NassauYvette Aelbrecht18BrusselsVivienne Ann Hollis19Smith's ParishAdelaida Filha18BrasíliaPamela Mercer20AncasterMaría Cristina Granzow18SantiagoMaría Loretta Celedón19ValleduparLigia Ramos23San JoseViveca Marchena18WillemstadAndri Tsangaridou20FamagustaSusanne Hansen18CopenhagenJenny Corporán17Santo DomingoMarie Clare Fontaine20GuayaquilSoraya Camondari17San SalvadorMerja Tammi21HelsinkiMonique Uldaric22ParisPatricia Servonnat18PapeeteRosemarie Parody19GibraltarRania Theofilou20AthensDiana Marie Duenas17AganaMarta Elisa Richardson21Guatemala CityStephanie Flatow23RotterdamMaribel Ayala18San Pedro Sula Christine Leung22Hong KongSigríður Olgeirsdóttir19ReykjavikJakki Moore17Mount MerrionLevana Abarbanel17Tel AvivAntonella Lombrosi17MilanCindy Breakspeare21KingstonNoriko Asakuno19TokyoSusan Hughes21St. HelierSuad Nachoul21BeirutMonique Wilmes19EchternachJane Saliba18ŻurrieqCarla Jean Evert18AcapulcoAnne Clifford22ChristchurchNina Rønneberg21OsloMaría Cristina Fernández21AsuncionRocío Lazcano 21LimaIvette Rosado19BayamónPauline Poh18SingaporeLynn Massyn18DurbanVeronica Mutsepe21PretoriaShin Byoung-sook19SeoulLuz María Polegre18TenerifeAnn-Christine Gernandt19StockholmRuth Crottet21LuganoDuangcheewan Komolsen20BangkokPatricia Anderson Leon21San FernandoJale Bayhan20AnkaraCarol Jean Grant19GlasgowKimberly Foley21SouthfieldDenise La Franque19Saint CroixSara Alaga19SaltoGenoveva Rivero19CaracasMonika Schneeweiss21Frankfurt
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