Miss Universe 1979
| Miss Universe 1979 | |
|---|---|
 Maritza Sayalero (2020) | |
| Date | 20 July 1979[a] |
| Presenters | |
| Entertainment | Donny Osmond |
| Venue | Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth, Australia |
| Broadcaster | CBS (international) Seven Network (TVW) (official broadcaster) |
| Entrants | 75 |
| Placements | 12 |
| Debuts | |
| Withdrawals | |
| Returns | |
| Winner | Maritza Sayalero Venezuela |
| Congeniality | Yurika Kuroda (Japan) |
| Best National Costume | Elizabeth Busti (Uruguay) |
| Photogenic | Carolyn Seaward (England) |
Miss Universe 1979 was the 28th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Perth Entertainment Centre in Perth, Australia, on 20 July 1979.[a]
Margaret Gardiner of South Africa crowned her successor Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela. This marks as the first time a woman from Venezuela won the pageant. It was the first time in the pageant's history that the event was held in Australia.
Results
Placements
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Universe 1979 | |
| 1st runner-up | |
| 2nd runner-up | |
| 3rd runner-up | |
| 4th runner-up | |
| Top 12 |
|
Final Scores
| Country/Territory | Interview | Swimsuit | Evening Gown | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg.png){kind=small} Venezuela[2] | 9.362 (1) | 9.135 (1) | 9.416 (1) | 9.304 (1) |
 Bermuda[2] | 8.872 (2) | 9.027 (2) | 9.100 (2) | 9.000 (2) |
 England[2] | 8.671 (3) | 8.591 (4) | 8.936 (3) | 8.733 (3) |
 Brazil[2] | 8.509 (4) | 8.764 (3) | 8.818 (4) | 8.697 (4) |
 Sweden[2] | 8.300 (5) | 8.127 (7) | 8.409 (6) | 8.279 (5) |
.svg.png){kind=small} South Africa[2] | 7.918 (10) | 8.330 (5) | 8.454 (5) | 8.234 (6) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Belize[2] | 8.118 (7) | 8.279 (6) | 8.118 (10) | 8.171 (7) |
 United States[2] | 8.100 (8) | 7.709 (12) | 8.335 (7) | 8.048 (8) |
 Germany[2] | 8.125 (6) | 7.882 (10) | 8.118 (10) | 8.042 (9) |
 Scotland[2] | 7.764 (11) | 8.118 (8) | 8.218 (8) | 8.033 (10) |
 Argentina[2] | 8.009 (9) | 8.045 (9) | 8.021 (12) | 8.025 (11) |
 Wales[2] | 7.380 (12) | 7.818 (11) | 8.150 (9) | 7.783 (12) |
Contestants
Antigua – Elsie Maynard- Argentina – Adriana Virginia Álvarez
Aruba – Lugina Liliana Margareta Vilchez.svg.png)
Australia – Kerry Dunderdale
Austria – Karin Zorn
Bahamas – Lolita Louise Ambrister
Barbados – Barbara Bradshaw.svg.png)
Belgium – Christine Linda Bernadette Cailliau- Belize – Sarita Diana Acosta
- Bermuda – Gina Ann Swainson
Bolivia – María Luisa Rendón.svg.png)
Bophuthatswana – Alina Moeketse.svg.png)
Brazil – Martha Jussara da Costa
British Virgin Islands – Eartha Ferdinand.svg.png)
Canada – Heidi Quiring
Chile – María Cecilia Serrano Gildemeister
Colombia – Ana Milena Parra Turbay
Costa Rica – Carla Facio Franco
Denmark – Lone Gladys Joergensen
Dominican Republic – Viena Elizabeth García Javier.svg.png)
Ecuador – Margarita Plaza
El Salvador – Judith Ivette López Lagos- England – Carolyn Ann Seaward
Fiji – Tanya Whiteside
Finland – Päivi Uitto
France – Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera
Greece – Katia Koukidou
Guam – Marie Cruz
Guatemala – Michelle Marie Domínguez Santos
Holland – Eunice Bharatsingh.svg.png)
Honduras – Gina Maria Weidner Cleaves.svg.png)
Hong Kong – Olivia Chang Man-Ai
Iceland – Halldora Björk Jonsdóttir
India – Swaroop Sampat
Ireland – Lorraine Marion O'Conner
Israel – Vered Polgar
Italy – Elvira Puglisi.svg.png)
Japan – Yurika Kuroda
Malaysia – Irene Wong Sun Ching
Malta – Dian Borg Bartolo
Mauritius – Maria Lynda Allard
Mexico – Blanca María Luisa Díaz Tejeda
New Zealand – Andrea Karke
Northern Mariana Islands – Barbara Torres
Norway – Unni Margrethe Öglaend
Panama – Yahel Cecile Dolande
Papua New Guinea – Molly Misbut.svg.png)
Paraguay – Patricia Lohman Bernie
Peru – Jacqueline Brahm.svg.png)
Philippines – Criselda Flores Cecilio.svg.png)
Portugal – Marta Maria Mendoça de Gouveia.svg.png)
Puerto Rico – Teresa López- Réunion – Isabelle Jacquemart
Saint Kitts – Cheryl Chaderton.svg.png)
Saint Vincent – June de Nobriga- Scotland – Lorraine Davidson
Singapore – Elaine Tan Kim Lian- South Africa – Veronica Wilson
.svg.png)
South Korea – Jae-hwa Seo.svg.png)
Spain – Gloria María Valencia Rijo
Sri Lanka – Vidyahari Vanigasooriya
Surinam – Sergine Lieuw-A-Len- Sweden – Annette Marie Ekström
.svg.png)
Switzerland – Birgit Krahl
Tahiti – Fabienne Tapare
Thailand – Wongduan Kerdpoom
Transkei – Lindiwe Bam
Trinidad and Tobago – Marie Noelle Diaz
Turkey – Fusin Tahire Dermitan.png)
United States – Mary Therese Friel
United States Virgin Islands – Linda Torres
Uruguay – Elizabeth Busti- Venezuela – Maritza Sayalero
- Wales – Janet Beverly Hobson
- West Germany – Andrea Hontschik †
Notes
- ^ a b The event was held at 8:00 am Australia Time (UTC+08:00); for the Americas, this was July 19 in their local times including the United States.