Miss World 1991


Miss World 1991 was the 41st edition of the Miss World pageant, at the Georgia [World Congress Center] in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, on 28 December 1991.
Gina Tolleson of the United States crowned Ninibeth Leal of Venezuela as her successor at the conclusion of the event. Miss World 1991 was scheduled to be held in the Dominican Republic but, due to scheduling difficulties, Miss World organisers moved the pageant, first to Puerto Rico, then finally settling in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Preliminary swimsuits for the 1991 Miss World pageant was held in South Africa.

Selection of participants

Replacements

Antonia Balint of Hungary was stripped of the Miss Hungary 1991 title, after photographs printed in Hungarian newspapers showed that she had previously appeared in the men's magazine Lui and other publications against Miss World rules. She was replaced by her first runner-up, Timea Raba but Raba couldn't replace her for the same reason. Orsolya Michina represented Hungary instead.

Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals

This edition marked the debut of Greenland and the return of South Africa, which last competed 1977, Antigua and Barbuda last competed in 1986, Lebanon and Swaziland last competed in 1988 and Ecuador, Malaysia and Taiwan last competed in 1989.
Barbados, Cook Islands, Egypt, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Sri Lanka, withdrew from the competition. Tara Paat of Canada withdrew from the competition and Ilmira Shamsutdinova of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, won Miss USSR 1991 and was invited to compete in this edition, but she was underage to attend.
Muriel Edoukou of Côte d'Ivoire was supposed to compete but withdrew from the competition due to failed to arrive. Tracy Ann D'Abreu of Guyana also withdrew from the competition due to the controversy over her victory and citizenship, she was declared ineligible to compete at Miss World 1991. Birgit Højgaard of Faroe Islands, was supposed to debut at Miss World 1991, however her separate participation was rejected by the Miss World Organization, because the Faroe Islands are an administrative part of Denmark, then she participated at Miss Denmark World 1991 and was second runner-up.

Results

Placements

Continental Queens of Beauty


Judges

Contestants

Seventy-eight contestants competed for the title.
Country/TerritoryContestantAgeHometown
Antigua and Barbuda

Replacements

  • – Lu Shu-Fang

Other notes

  • – Michelle McLean eventually competed in Miss Universe four months after she placed in the top five in Miss World 1991. She emerged victorious of the former pageant, thus making her the first Namibian to claim the Miss Universe crown.