Name: Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia Age: 20 Nationality: Peruvian Claim to fame: Miss World 2004
There couldn’t have been a more popular winner, for when Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia became Miss World 2004 on Saturday last, she was chosen by people from all round the globe for being the most suitable among the 107 contestants. Yes there weren’t any judges this year round as this is the first time in the history of the Miss World Contest that viewers from around the world got a chance to vote for the contestants via telephone, SMS and the Internet.
However, the result came as a surprise, even to Miss Peru as she was not among the five contestants chosen to be finalists after winning several competitions over the past weeks. The two runners-up were 18-year-old Miss Dominican Republic, Claudia Julissa Cruz-Rodriguez, and 24-year-old Miss America Nancy Randall who was a hot favourite with the bookies.
“The fact that I am the first Miss World to be decided by a global vote makes this award unbelievably precious,” said a beaming Garcia. She also gets prize money of $100,000 and as part of her contract as Miss World, she will be travelling a lot to help raise funds for charity. After getting a taste of media attention and a glamorous lifestyle, the original career plans of many winners change. I guess that Garcia’s original plan to study to become a teacher may have to be put on hold.
For the past few years this beauty contest and others like it have had controversies, especially the final verdict had always been the bone of contention. Even last year’s Miss World, Rosanna Davison, had critics claiming that her father, the pop singer Chris de Burgh’s personal ties with some of the judges tipped the scales in his daughter’s favour. Maybe those headaches will now be put to rest.
Besides making the competition appear fairer this new system of selection was meant to generate more global attention and gain viewers. Each time there is a beauty pageant taking place, there are a good number of protesters claiming it to be demeaning to females.
There had been a 54-year ban on beauty contests in China that was officially lifted last year, leading to the hosting of the Miss World 2003 pageant in the resort town of Sanya. It has been in an effort to present China as an open and progressive society that can meet international standards in all areas. This competition will be held there again next year, for the third time in a row. And the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will go a long way in overcoming the western perception of China as an orthodox nation with serious human rights concerns.
There couldn’t have been a more popular winner, for when Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia became Miss World 2004 on Saturday last, she was chosen by people from all round the globe for being the most suitable among the 107 contestants. Yes there weren’t any judges this year round as this is the first time in the history of the Miss World Contest that viewers from around the world got a chance to vote for the contestants via telephone, SMS and the Internet.
