Miss World 1996, the 46th edition of the Miss World pageant, took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India on 23 November 1996.Ocala Star-Banner
At the end of the event, Irene Skliva of Greece was crowned as Miss World 1996 by Jacqueline Aguilera of Venezuela. Skliva was the first Greek to win the title. The first and second runners-up was Carolina Arango of Colombia and Anuska Prado of Brazil.
Contestants from eighty-eighty countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Richard Steinmetz and Ruby Bhatia.
Background Controversy The event was organised by ABCL which was led by Amitabh Bachchan. The beauty pageant saw resistance by several groups due to the perceived culture clash. However, due to support of the local government, the event was held successfully.
Selection of participants Debuts, returns, and withdrawals This edition saw the debut of Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia, and the return of Grenada, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Uruguay and Yugoslavia; Grenada, which last competed in 1970, Yugoslavia last competed in 1991, Uganda and Urugauy last competed in 1993 and Kenya and Nigeria last competed in 1994.
Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Denmark, withdrew from the competition.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss World 1996 – Irene Skliva 1st Runner-Up – Carolina Arango 2nd Runner-Up – Anuska Prado Top 5 – Rani Jeyraj – Ana CepinskaTop 10 – Afranina Henriquez – Laurence Borremans – Idelsa Núñez – Yessica Salazar – Peggy-Sue Khumalo
Continental Queens of Beauty Continental Group Contestant Africa – Peggy-Sue Khumalo Americas – Carolina Arango Asia & Oceania – Rani Jeyraj Caribbean – Afranina Henriquez Europe – Irene Skliva
Judges
Andre Sekulic Linda Pétursdóttir – Miss World 1988 from Iceland Vijay Mallya Marlene Cardin Aamir Khan Aishwarya Rai – Miss World 1994 from India Sanath Jayasuriya Ninibeth Leal – Miss World 1991 from Venezuela Tom Nuyens – Mister World 1996 from Belgium Parmeshwar GodrejThe Daily Gazette
Contestants Country/Territory Contestant Age Fernanda Fernández 18 Afranina Henriquez 20 Nicole Smith 24 Bettina Buxbaumer 23 Rehnuma Dilruba 20 Laurence Borremans 18 Andrea Forti 19 Jhane Landwier 18 Belma Zvrko 18 Joyce Manase 20 Anuska Prado 20 Ayana Glasgow 21 Viara Kamenova 21 Michelle Weswaldi 19 Luz Francisca Valenzuela 20 Carolina Arango 19 Natalia Carvajal 21 Vanja Rupena 18 Yandra Faulborn 19 Maria Papaprodromou 19 Petra Minářová 18 Idelsa Núñez Torres 21 Jennifer Graham 19 Mari-Liis Kapustin 18 Hanna Hirvonen 20 Séverine Derouallé 22 Hinerava Hiro 18 Melanie Ernst 18 Sheila Azuntaba 19 Samantha Lane 17 Irene Skliva 18 Aria Johnson 25 Aileen Maravilla 23 María Gabriela Rosales 19 Petra Hoost 20 Chillie Poon 24 Andrea Deák 19 Rani Jeyraj 21 Niamh Redmond 19 Talia Lewenthal 18 Mara de Gennaro 24 Selena Delgado 21 Miyuki Fujii 21 Pritpal Kulwant Dhamu 18 Anta Dukere 22 Nisrine Sami Nasser 22 Daiva Anužytė 18 Macau Guiomar Madeira da Silva Pedruco 21 Vera Mesterovic 17 Qu-an How Cheok Kuan 20 Yessica Salazar 22 Kelly-Rose Mischiewski 21 Emma Komlosy 19 Eva Sjøholt 24 Norma Élida Pérez 21 María Ingrid Götze 22 Mónica Chacón de Vettori 21 Daisy Reyes 20 Agnieszka Zielińska 20 Ana Mafalda Santos 21 Marissa de la Caridad Hernández 21 Carmen Radoi 21 Viktoriya Tsapitsina 17 Christina Pillay 22 Carol Tan 19 Linda Lenčová 18 Alenka Vindiš 18 Peggy-Sue Khumalo 21 Seol Soo-jin 21 Patricia Ruiz Fernández 19 Olive Healy 22 Åsa Johansson 20 Melanie Winiger 17 Chen Hsiao-Fen 23 Shose Akare Sinare 20 Sirinya Burbridge 17 Sharda Ramlogan 23 Serpil Sevilay Öztürk 19 Sheba Kerere 19 Nataliya Shvachko 20 Rachael Liza Warner 22 Kelly Webber 20 Emoliere Williams 18 Claudia Verónica Gallaretta Olmedo 19 Ana Cepinska Miszczak 18 Slavica Krivokuća 18 Alice Banda 21 Nomsa Ndiweni 19
Notes
Withdrawals
– Nicole Symonette could not compete due to financial problems with the Miss Bahamas Committee that ran Miss Bahamas for both Miss World and Miss Universe and thus was only able to send a representative to Miss Universe 1996. – Due to financial problems
References