Marcia Thomas | Jamaica At Miss World: A 60-Year Success Story

Published:Tuesday | January 7, 2020 | 12:28 AMMarcia Thomas/Guest Columnist

Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh.

Since Sheila Mechtilde Chong first represented Jamaica at the 1959 Miss World Beauty Pageant, Jamaican entrants have had an enviable record of success at this international beauty pageant.

Nearly every year since then, Jamaica has been represented, whether by the actual winner of the national beauty pageant, Miss Jamaica, or a designated representative because a national competition was not held in the particular year or for some other reason.

The entrant in 1962 was Chriss Leon, although Marlene Murray was crowned Miss Jamaica. Leon placed among the top 15 finalists. In 1963, the designated representative was Carole Joan Crawford, who won the Miss World title.

Erica Jeanne Cooke went to Miss World 1964, placing sixth, although Marie (Mitzie) Constantine was Miss Jamaica. In 1976, Cindy Breakspeare represented Jamaica, becoming the second Jamaican to win the Miss World title.

Miss Jamaica 1960, Judith Willoughby, withdrew from the Miss World competition and in 1961, Miss Jamaica Marguerite Lewars was instead entered in the Miss Universe pageant, held in July. Lewars had a role in the James Bond film, Dr No, which started filming in January 1962.

Jamaica was making its debut at Miss Universe in 1961.

Overall, in 60 years of participation at the Miss World contest, 27 Jamaican entrants have made the final 10 or 17, depending on the number selected for the specific year.

Sixteen have finished in the top five or six as follows:

- 1963 – Carole Joan Crawford – first

- 1964 – Erica Jeanne Cooke – sixth

- 1971 – Ava Joy Gill – fifth

- 1973 – Patricia (Patsy) Yuen – third

- 1976 – Cindy Breakspeare – first

- 1979 – Debbie Campbell – third

- 1981 – Sandra Cunningham – third

- 1983 – Cathy Levy – fourth

- 1985 – Alison Barnett – fifth

- 1991 – Sandra Foster – fourth

- 1993 – Lisa Hanna – first

- 2006 – Sara Lawrence – fourth

- 2012 – Deanna Robins – sixth

- 2015 – Sanneta Myrie – fourth

- 2018 – Kadijah Robinson – fourth

- 2019 – Toni-Ann Singh – first

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT

Of course, four Jamaican women have now won the Miss World title, as indicated.

Michelle Moodie (1997) and Desiree Depass (1999), though unplaced in their Miss World pageants, were awarded the title Caribbean Queen of Beauty.

Sandra Foster (1991), Christine Straw (1998) and Yendi Phillipps (2007) went on to be quite successful in the Miss Universe pageant, with Phillipps, the most successful, placing second in 2010.

With this record of high placements, Jamaica is recognised as one of the most successful countries consistently participating in the Miss World pageant. Jamaica is now possibly the fourth most successful country with four titles.

Whether or not one supports beauty competitions, this is indeed quite another significant achievement on the global stage for a small island country with a population of approximately 2.9 million people.

The Miss Jamaica World competition, and, indeed, Miss Jamaica Universe, should not lack sponsors. The record of success is there to be seen.

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