Miss World 2002
Encyclopedia
Miss World 2002, the 52nd Miss World
pageant was held on December 7, 2002 at Alexandra Palace
, London
, United Kingdom
. The pageant was initially slated for Abuja, Nigeria
but due to conflict in the city of Kaduna
arising from a publication of an article in a Lagos based newspaper the pageant was relocated to London, United Kingdom.
A total of 88 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown, several contestants boycotted the pageant in protest for the death sentence by stoning
determined by an Islamic Sharia
court to Amina Lawal
, a Nigerian woman accused of adultery. It was the first time that audience participation through text messaging together with the scores of the judges helped in determining the results for the Top 20. Azra Akın
from Turkey
won the pageant, becoming the first ever representative from her country to be crowned Miss World.
NOTE - The official site listed Norway as 3rd runner-up and China PR as 4th runner-up, but the Miss World final telecast only announced the winner, and 2 runner-ups.
:
Last competed in 2000
:
Boycotting contestants (replaced by national directors):
Boycotting contestants (joined in London):
Withdrew during the pageant:
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
pageant was held on December 7, 2002 at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The pageant was initially slated for Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
but due to conflict in the city of Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
arising from a publication of an article in a Lagos based newspaper the pageant was relocated to London, United Kingdom.
A total of 88 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown, several contestants boycotted the pageant in protest for the death sentence by stoning
Stoning
Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the...
determined by an Islamic Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
court to Amina Lawal
Amina Lawal
Amina Lawal Kurami is a Nigerian woman. On March 22, 2002, an Islamic Sharia court sentenced her to death by stoning for adultery and for conceiving a child out of wedlock...
, a Nigerian woman accused of adultery. It was the first time that audience participation through text messaging together with the scores of the judges helped in determining the results for the Top 20. Azra Akın
Azra Akin
Azra Akın is a Dutch born Turkish model and actress. She is a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2002 and Miss Turkey 2002.-Biography:...
from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
won the pageant, becoming the first ever representative from her country to be crowned Miss World.
Placements
| Final results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss World 2002 | |
| 1st runner-up |
 Colombia - Natalia Peralta |
| 2nd runner-up |
 Peru - Marina MoraMarina Mora Marina Mora Montero was Miss Peru 2002 and represented Peru in Miss World 2002. She finished as 2nd runner up.-Personal life:Marina has been married once. In 2005, she married her first cousin, Gustavo Mora. They later separated.-References:... |
| 3rd runner-up |
 Norway - Kathrine SørlandKathrine Sørland Kathrine Sørland is a Norwegian fashion model, TV presenter and beauty queen who has competed in the Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants.-Beauty pageants:... |
| 4th runner-up |
 Mainland China - Wu Yingna |
| Top 10 |
 Australia - Nicole Rita Gazal Nigeria - Chinenye OchubaChinenye Ochuba Chinenye Akinlade is a former beauty queen.Akinlade is the seventh of eight children and also a twin. Following completion of her secondary education at Regan Memorial Secondary School, she won the 2002 edition of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant while awaiting admission into university...  Philippines - Katherine Anne Manalo United States - Rebekah Revels Venezuela - Goizeder Azúa |
| Top 20 |
 Aruba - Rachelle Oduber Bosnia and Herzegovina - Daniela Vinš Curaçao - Ayanette Statia India - Shruti SharmaShruti Sharma Sharma's parents are Sushil and Mrinal Sharma. She did her schooling at Mussoorie and attended the Jesus and Mary College , Delhi. She has modeled for Sunsilk Hair Pro-Colour, Shoppers’ Stop, Toyota Qualis, Proline and the Taj Group. She has also acted in in the Bollywood movie Tezaab - The Acid...  Italy - Suzanne Zuber Puerto Rico - Cassandra Polo Russia - Anna Tatarintseva Vietnam - Phạm Thị Mai PhươngPham Thi Mai Phuong Phạm Thị Mai Phương was crowned the 8th Miss Vietnam in 2002. She was the first Miss Vietnam to enter the Miss World competition in 2002. She was in the top 20...  Kingdom of Yugoslavia - Ana ŠargićAna Šargić -Miss World 2002:Šargić was the official representative of her country to the Miss World 2002 pageant held in Alexandra Palace, London, United Kingdom, where she placed as one of the Top 20 semifinalists of the competition.-External links:***... |
NOTE - The official site listed Norway as 3rd runner-up and China PR as 4th runner-up, but the Miss World final telecast only announced the winner, and 2 runner-ups.
Special awards
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Best World Dress Designer |
|
| Miss World Talent |
|
| Miss World Scholarship |
|
Continental Queens
| Continental | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Africa |
|
| Americas |
|
| Asia & Oceania |
|
| Caribbean |
|
| Europe |
Azra Akin Azra Akın is a Dutch born Turkish model and actress. She is a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2002 and Miss Turkey 2002.-Biography:... |
Contestants
- - Anjeza Maja
- - Lamia Saoudi
- ' - Hailey Cagan
- - Rosa Mujinga Muxito
- ' - Zara Razzaq
- - Tamara Henriksen
- - Rachelle Oduber
- - Nicole Rita Gazal
- - T'Shura Ambrose
- - Natalie Webb-Howell
- - Sylvie Doclot
- - Karen Russell
- - Alejandra Montero
- ' - Daniela Vinš
- - Lomaswati Dlamini
- - Taíza Thomsen
- - Desislava Antoniya Guleva
- - Lyndsey Bennett
- - Daniela Casanova
- - Wu Yingna
- - Natalia Peralta
- - Nina Slamić
- - Ayanette Statia
- - Angela Droudsioutou
- - Kateřina Smržová
- - Jessica Angulo
- - Daniella Luan
- - Triin Sommer
- - Hanne Hynnynen
- - Caroline Chamorand
- - Indira Selmic
- - Shaida Buari
- - Damaris Hollands
- - Katerina GeorgiadouKaterina GeorgiadouKaterina Georgiadou is a former Miss Greece and fashion model who has appeared in numerous fashion magazines and international events.-Background:...
- - Odessa Phillips
- ' - Elise Boulogne
Hong Kong - Victoria Jane Jolly- - Renata Rosz
- - Shruti SharmaShruti SharmaSharma's parents are Sushil and Mrinal Sharma. She did her schooling at Mussoorie and attended the Jesus and Mary College , Delhi. She has modeled for Sunsilk Hair Pro-Colour, Shoppers’ Stop, Toyota Qualis, Proline and the Taj Group. She has also acted in in the Bollywood movie Tezaab - The Acid...
- - Lynda Duffy
- - Karol Lowenstein
- - Susanne Zuber
- - Danielle O'Hayon
- - Yuko Nabeta
- - Olga Sidorenko
- - Maryanne Kariuki
- - Sharika Rahman
- - Bethany Kehdy
- - Oksana Semenišina
- - Jasna Spasovska
- - Mabel Ng
- - Joyce Gatt
- - Blanca ZumárragaBlanca ZumárragaBlanca Rosalía Zumárraga Contreras competed in the national pageant Nuestra Belleza Mexico, representing Puebla, the state in which she was raised. She received the title of Miss Mexico World and represented her country in the 2002 Miss World pageant, held on December 7, 2002.-References:...
- - Ndapewa Alfons
- - Rachel Huljich
- - Hazel Calderón
- - Chinenye OchubaChinenye OchubaChinenye Akinlade is a former beauty queen.Akinlade is the seventh of eight children and also a twin. Following completion of her secondary education at Regan Memorial Secondary School, she won the 2002 edition of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant while awaiting admission into university...
- - Gayle Williamson
- - Kathrine SørlandKathrine SørlandKathrine Sørland is a Norwegian fashion model, TV presenter and beauty queen who has competed in the Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants.-Beauty pageants:...
- - Yoscelin Sánchez
- - Marina MoraMarina MoraMarina Mora Montero was Miss Peru 2002 and represented Peru in Miss World 2002. She finished as 2nd runner up.-Personal life:Marina has been married once. In 2005, she married her first cousin, Gustavo Mora. They later separated.-References:...
- - Katherine Anne Manalo
- - Marta Matyjasik
- - Cassandra Polo
- - Cleopatra Popescu
- - Anna Tatarintseva
- - Paula Murphy
- - Sharon Cintamani
- - Eva Verešová
- - Nataša Krajnc
- - Claire Sabbagha
- - Lola Alcocer
- - Nozipho Shabangu
- - Sophia Hedmark
- - Rava Maiarii
- - Angela Damas Mtalima
- - Ticha Leungpairoj
- ' - Janelle Rajnauth
- - Azra AkınAzra AkinAzra Akın is a Dutch born Turkish model and actress. She is a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2002 and Miss Turkey 2002.-Biography:...
- - Rehema Ni Nakuya
- - Iryna Udovenko
- - Rebekah Revels
- - Natalia Figueras
- - Goizeder Azúa
- - Phạm Thị Mai PhươngPham Thi Mai PhuongPhạm Thị Mai Phương was crowned the 8th Miss Vietnam in 2002. She was the first Miss Vietnam to enter the Miss World competition in 2002. She was in the top 20...
- - Michelle Bush
- - Ana Šargić
- - Linda van Beek
Returning countries and territories
Last competed in 1991Miss World 1991
Miss World 1991, the 41st Miss World pageant, was held on December 28, 1991 in Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The winner was Ninibeth Beatriz Leal Jiménez representing Venezuela.-Results:-Order of Semi-finalists:# France# Turkey...
:
Last competed in 2000
Miss World 2000
Miss World 2000, the 50th Miss World pageant, was held on 30 November 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, United Kingdom. The pageant's swimsuit segment was filmed in the Maldives....
:
Withdraws
Hawaii- '
Boycott
Boycotting nations and contestants:- - Celine Roschek
- - Shirley Álvarez
- - Masja Juel
- - Eyrún Steinsson
- - Karen Alexandre
- - Nilusha Gamage
- - Nadine Vinzens
Boycotting contestants (replaced by national directors):
- - Ann Van ElsenAnn Van ElsenAnn Van Elsen is a model and TV personality from Mol, Antwerp in Belgium. She was crowned Miss Belgium in 2002.- Biography :...
- - Katrin Wrobel
- - Pamela Camassa
- - Karen Lourens
- - Vanessa Carreira
Boycotting contestants (joined in London):
- - Lynsey Ann Bennett
- - Yoscelin Sánchez
- - Lola Alcocer
- - Rava Maiarii
Withdrew during the pageant:
- ' - Chang Yoo-kyoung
Historical signifinance
- 15 out of 20 countries which made it into the semifinals, were not in the semifinals in 2001: Puerto Rico (1985), Holland (1990), Philippines (1994), Australia (1997), Peru (1998), Norway and Venezuela (1999), Colombia, India, Italy, Turkey, and United States (2000). Bosnia & Herzegovina, Curaçao and Vietnam made into the semi-finals in Miss World for the first time. While Curaçao debuted in 1975, and Bosnia & Herzegovina in 1996, Vietnam debuted on that same year as Miss World.
- In the year leading up the finals in Nigeria, several European title holders lobbied their governments and the EU parliament to support AminaAmina LawalAmina Lawal Kurami is a Nigerian woman. On March 22, 2002, an Islamic Sharia court sentenced her to death by stoning for adultery and for conceiving a child out of wedlock...
's cause. A number of contestants followed the lead of Kathrine SørlandKathrine SørlandKathrine Sørland is a Norwegian fashion model, TV presenter and beauty queen who has competed in the Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants.-Beauty pageants:...
of NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in boycotting the contest (despite the controversy Sørland would go on to become a semifinalist in both the Miss World and Miss Universe contest), while others such as Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
were instructed by their national governments and parliaments not to attend the contest. Among the other boycotting nations were DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. There was further controversy over the possibly suspended participation of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which may or may not have been due to the boycott. For her part, Lawal asked that contestants not suspend their participation in the contest, saying that it was for the good of her country and that they could, as the representative of SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
had earlier remarked, make a much stronger case for her on the ground in Nigeria.
- Despite the increasing international profile the boycott was garnering in the world press, the contest went ahead in Nigeria after being rescheduled to avoid taking place during Ramadan, with many prominent nations sending delegates. Osmel Sousa of VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, one of the world's most influential national directors, famously said "there is no question about it (the participation of Miss Venezuela in the contest). "The trouble did not end there, however. A ThisDay (LagosLagosLagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
) newspaper editorial suggesting that MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, would probably have chosen one of his wives from among the contestants had he been alive to see it, resulted in inter-religious riots that started on November 22 in which over 200 people were killed in the city of Kaduna, along with many houses of worship being burned by religious zealots. Because of these riots, the 2002 pageant was moved to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, following widely circulated reports that the representatives of CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
had withdrawn from the contest and returned to their respective countries out of safety concerns. A fatwaFatwaA fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
urging the beheading of the woman who wrote the offending words, Isioma DanielIsioma DanielIsioma Nkemdilim Nkiruka Daniel is a Nigerian journalist whose 2002 newspaper article comment involving the Islamic prophet Muhammad sparked major religious riots and caused a fatwa to be issued on her life.-The 2002 Nigeria riots:...
, was issued in Nigeria, but was declared null and void by the relevant Saudi Arabian authorities. Upon the pageant's return to England, many of the boycotting contestants chose to attend, including Miss Norway, Kathrine Sørland, who was ironically tipped in the last few days as the number one favorite for the crown she had previously boycotted.
- The eventual winner of the pageant was Azra AkınAzra AkinAzra Akın is a Dutch born Turkish model and actress. She is a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2002 and Miss Turkey 2002.-Biography:...
of TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the first predominantly Muslim country to hold the title since EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1954.