Miss World 2006

Miss World 2006
Miss World 2006 titlecard
Date	September 30, 2006
Presenters	Tim Vincent, Angela Chow, Grażyna Torbicka
Entertainment	Westlife, Robin Gibb and Amici
Venue	Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, Poland
Broadcaster	TVP, Star World
Entrants	104
Placements	17
Debuts	Cambodia, Montenegro, Serbia
Withdraws	Albania, American Virgin Islands, Chinese Taipei, Malawi, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Switzerland, Uganda
Returns	Angola, Austria, Belarus, Cayman Islands, Chile, Curaçao, Finland, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Tahiti, Zimbabwe
Winner	Taťána Kuchařová  Czech Republic

Miss World 2006, the 56th Miss World pageant was held at Sala Kongresowa, the main 2,897-seat auditorium at the Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, Poland on the September 30, 2006. It was the first time ever that the pageant was held in a European city other than London, United Kingdom, having previously been held there in 2002 after the Nigeria Controversy. The pageant officially concluded after Taťána Kuchařová from the Czech Republic was crowned Miss World 2006 by outgoing titleholder Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir of Iceland.

A total of 104 countries competed in the pageant, the sixth largest number behind 2009 (112), 2008 (109), 2004 (107) and 2007 and 2003 (both 106). All contestants were divided in six regional groups: Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Caribbean, Northern Europe and Southern Europe.

Gdynia was the host of the Beach Beauty contest, Giżycko hosted the Miss Sports contest and Wrocław hosted the Miss Talent competition. The fourth event was Beauty With A Purpose.

Countries and territories which sent delegates and results

Results

Continental Queens of Beauty

• Out of the 17 semi-finalists a group of judges selected the winner of each regional group and received the respective Miss World Regional Title. All of them made the Top 6 finalists.
  • Asia Pacific: Sabrina Houssami (Australia)
  • Northern Europe: Taťána Kuchařová (Czech Republic)
  • Southern Europe: Ioana Boitor (Romania)
  • Caribbean: Sara Lawrence (Jamaica)
  • Americas: Jane Borges (Brazil)
  • Africa: Stiviandra Oliveira (Angola)

Fast Track Events

During the month of September four competitions were held from which the winner of each was fast tracked into the semi-finals. Beach Beauty was selected on the September 7 in the city of Gdynia. Miss Sports was held on the September 12 in the city of Gizycko and the Miss Talent contest was celebrated on the September 20 at Wrocław. The Beauty With A Purpose winner was announced on the September 30 during the final telecast.

Beach Beauty

• Winner: Federica Guzmán (Venezuela)
  • 1st runner-up: Taťána Kuchařová (Czech Republic)
  • 2nd runner-up: Natasha Suri (India)
  • 3rd runner-up: Stiviandra Oliveira (Angola)
  • 4th runner-up: Colleen Pereira (Singapore)
• Top 10 finalists: Latoya McDowald (Barbados), Marzena Cieślik (Poland), Ioana Boitor (Romania), Nicola McLean (Scotland), Inmaculada Torres (Spain)
• Top 25 semi-finalists: Ana María Ortiz (Bolivia), Azra Gazdić (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Jane Borges (Brazil), Malgosia Majewska (Canada), Elizabeth Loaiza (Colombia), Nino Kalandadze (Georgia), Sarah Morrissey (Ireland), Elizaveta Migatcheva (Italy), Sara Lawrence (Jamaica), Abiola Bashorun (Nigeria), Gisselle Bissot (Panama), Anna Maris Igpit (Philippines), Thebyam Carrión (Puerto Rico), Iris Mulej (Slovenia), Cathrin Skoog (Sweden)

Miss Sports

• Winner: Malgosia Majewska (Canada)
• 1st runner-up: Thebyam Carrion (Puerto Rico)
• 2nd runner-up: Liga Meinarte (Latvia)
• Top 24 finalists:
  • Asia Pacific: Kristania Besouw (Indonesia), Kazuha Kondo (Japan), Sharon Park (Korea), Selenge Erdene-Ochir (Mongolia)
  • Northern Europe: Jenniina Tuokko (Finland), Sabina Chukayeva (Kazakhstan), Liga Meinarte (Latvia), Alexandra Mazur (Russia)
  • Southern Europe: Renata Toth (Hungary), Elizaveta Migatcheva (Italy), Ivana Knežević (Montenegro), Magdalena Sebestova (Slovakia)
  • Caribbean: Ambuyah Ebanks (Cayman Islands), Stephanie Colosse (Martinique), Thebyam Carrión (Puerto Rico), Tineke de Freitas (Trinidad & Tobago)
  • Americas: Malgosia Majewska (Canada), Jackelinne Piccinini (Guatemala), Karla Jiménez (Mexico), Brooke Angus (United States)
  • Africa: Lorato Tebogo (Botswana), Anna Nashandi (Namibia), Thuli Sithole (South Africa), Katanekwa Matundwelo (Zambia)

Miss Talent

• Winner: Catherine Jean Milligan (Northern Ireland)
• 1st runner-up: Elizaveta Migatcheva (Italy)
• 2nd runner-up: Lorraine Maphala (Zimbabwe)
• 3rd runner-up: Leisi Poldsam (Estonia)
• 4th runner-up: Selenge Erdene-Ochir (Mongolia)
• Top 10 finalists: Latoya McDowald (Barbados), Ivana Ergić (Croatia), Natasha Suri (India), Patrice Juah (Liberia), Sara Almeida (Portugal)

Beauty With A Purpose

• Winner: Lamisi Mbillah (Ghana)

Special Award

Best World Dress Designer

• Winner: Ivana Ergić (Croatia)
• 1st runner-up: Sheryl Baas (Netherlands)
• 2nd runner-up: Natasha Suri (India)
• 3rd runner-up: Khadijah Kiptoo (Kenya)
• 4th runner-up: Sarah Morrissey (Ireland)
• Top 20 finalists: Stiviandra Oliveira (Angola), Shanandoa Wijshijer (Aruba), Latoya McDowald (Barbados), Duo Liu (China PR), Elizabeth Loaiza (Colombia), Taťána Kuchařová (Czech Republic), Paola Torres (Dominican Republic), Elizaveta Migatcheva (Italy), Annabella Hilal (Lebanon), Vanesha Seetohul (Mauritius), Marzena Cieślik (Poland), Ioana Boitor (Romania), Brooke Angus (United States), Federica Guzmán (Venezuela), Mai Phương Thúy (Vietnam)

Contestants

Geographical groupings

• Israel and Lebanon, countries located in Asia, compete in the Southern Europe group.
• Russia and Kazakhstan, Eurasian countries, compete in the Northern Europe group.
• Turkey, another Eurasian country, competes in the Southern Europe group.
• Since 2000, the United Kingdom's home nations compete separately.

Trivia and Records

Returning countries and Debuts

• Cambodia, Montenegro and Serbia competed in Miss World for the first time.
• Austria and Tahiti last competed in 2002.
• Angola, Belarus, Cayman Islands, Chile, Curaçao, Finland, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe last competed in 2004.

Withdrawals and Nations not competing

• Albania, American Virgin Islands, Chinese Taipei, Malawi, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Switzerland and Uganda did not attend in 2006 after sending a delegate in 2005.
• Serbia & Montenegro split into two separate nations.
• Nepal did not take part due to the political turmoil in the country as the national pageant was moved to January 2007.
• Swaziland did not have enough time, financial assistance, and an organized committee to carry out the national pageant.
• Egypt (Fawzia Mohamed) withdrew from the contest after failing to complete visa paperwork on time.
• Malawi and Belize held their national pageants, but the organizers decided to send their respective winners will to Miss World 2007.
• Antigua & Barbuda and Nicaragua did not attend the pageant because of financial problems.
• Albania, Lithuania, New Zealand and Switzerland did not attend after the respective organizations failed to select a representative on time.
• Paraguay lost the franchise in 2005.

Other Notes

• Guatemala sent their national winner to both Miss Universe and Miss World for the first time since 1982.
• Tatjana Batinić (Austria), Ivana Ergić (Croatia) and Edita Orašćanin (Germany) are all ethnic Croats.
• This is the first time that Romania and Angola made the semi-finals and then the final six.
• 11 out of 17 countries which made it into the semifinals, were not in the semifinals last year: Ghana (1967), Namibia (1991), Brazil (1998), Scotland (2001), Lebanon and Venezuela (2003), and Australia, Czech Republic, and Vietnam (2004). Angola and Romania made into the semi-finals for the first time. Romania debuted in 1990, while Angola in 1998.

Contestants' Notes

• Ivana Knežević was the first Miss Montenegro at any international event since the country's independence on June 3, 2006.
• Soledad Gagliardo, Miss Mundo de Uruguay 2006, was replaced by her first runner-up because of unknown reasons.
• Countries such as Burkina Faso, British Virgin Islands, Chad and Ivory Coast selected their delegates and the national press wrote about their respective participations in Miss World, but they did not compete.
• Contestants from the Cayman Islands, Guatemala, Namibia and South Africa competed in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant in July 2006.
• Silvia Cornejo of Peru later competed in Miss Tourism Queen International 2008 and became the winner.
• Alexandra Mazur of Russia later competed in Miss International 2007 and became a semifinalist.
• Vanesha Seetohul of Mauritius later competed in Miss Tourism Queen International 2007 but did not place.

Viewers

Two billion people in 200 countries across the globe tuned-in Sunday for the 56th Miss World beauty pageant grand finale in Warsaw, Poland. Viewers were also able to help select Miss World 2006 using a special short message service (SMS) system.

External links

• Miss World Official Website

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