STREAKS AND DROUGHTS IN Miss Universe HISTORY
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The Powerhouse status in Miss Universe (or any pageant) is usually measured by the number of placements and/or call-outs translated to crowns! What about if we look at the STREAKS and DROUGHTS of countries?
By STREAK it means successive years of placements at least in the first cut; and DROUGHT refers to the consecutive years of clapping or non-placements.
The list below consists the 51 countries and territories that had at least 2 consecutive placements in Miss Universe.
If you don’t find your country in the list, though it has placed several times in the past 64 years, it only means those placements were isolated placements and never was a STREAK!
Take note that the drought statistics includes the year of absence (for whatever reason) of that country/territory in Miss Universe (e.g. Indonesia who had broken/staggered participations between 1977 and 2005).
It is worth noting that some countries and territories have ceased participating in Miss Universe (e.g. England, Scotland, Tahiti, Congo (aka Zaire), Taiwan) for a very long time now but are in the list coz they indeed have at least 2-YEAR STREAK placements!
Now let us take a closer look at the Top 10 countries in terms of highest number of placements in Miss Universe and how their candidates to the 65th Miss Universe would change the list above. Will they increase their number of STREAK or increase further their DROUGHT?
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THE POWERHOUSES
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1
USA
59 PLACEMENTS
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The motherland of Miss Universe has a total of 59 placements in 64 years. The streak would have been higher than 22 if Leona Mary Gage was not disqualified in 1957. The USA has no drought actually, those 5 non-placements were scattered isolatedly and were not in successive years.
Deshauna Barber will try to increase the on-going 5-year streak since the clapping day of Rima Fakih in 2010.
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2
VENEZUELA
41 PLACEMENTS
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The powerhouse country in all Big 5 pageants had a rough time in the first 2 decades of Miss Universe where it only placed 6 times in the first 20 years. It was in those decades that it logged its 6 years drought. Its glorious years were from 1983 to 2003, where it placed or WON non-stop. The unlucky girl who halted this streak was Ana Karina Añez, who surprisingly clapped even though the pageant was held in its neighbour and former sister Ecuador (via the old country Gran Colombia).
Mariam Habach is on to continue on-going 5-year streak since the day Marelisa Gibson clapped in 2010 like Rima Fakih.
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3
BRAZIL
34 PLACEMENTS
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Though Brazil has managed to produce only 2 winners to date, it is the 3rd most successful country in terms of placements, 34 all in all. Though the longest placement streak is only 7 years, its longest hiatus was only 6 years (same as Venezuela). Every year, Brazil has stunning contestant with excellent physique, but they always fall short to impress the judges in the Q&A round.
This year, the heavy favourite Raissa Santana has a high chance of continuing the current 5-year streak (since 2011). If Brazil manages to make at least the first cut in the next 3 years, its longest streak will no longer be 7 years.
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4
COLOMBIA
33 PLACEMENTS
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Colombia is only behind Brazil by 1 placement (33 placements). If only they started competing in 1952, the story would have been different. Keep in mind that Colombia’s debut year of 1958, it took home the crown. Unlike their Latin American rival, Venezuela, it only has 6 longest placement streak (happened in the ‘70s); but in terms of drought, Colombia wins over Venezuela. Longest drought by Colombia is 3 years, while Venezuela has 6 years.
This year, Andrea Tovar is poised to get another crown and continue the placement streak to 3 years. It’s also interesting to note that if Andrea ends up in Top 2 or the crown, Colombia will defeat its own record of finishing first runner up in 1992 to 1994. Coincidentally, that special kind of streak also culminated in the Philippines.
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5
SWEDEN
29 PLACEMENTS
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This Scandinavian country was neck-and-neck with the USA in the first 3 decades of Miss Universe in terms of harvesting placements or crowns. To date, Sweden’s longest streak was 7 years in 1964 to 1970. In those 7 years, it managed to produce its 2nd Miss Universe crown courtesy of the supermodel Margareta Arvidsson. The 8-year hiatus of Sweden in the first call-out happened in 1998 to 2004 plus the non-participation in 2005. Interestingly, when it came back in 2006, Sweden placed; then did not participate again in 2007 and 2008. When it returned in 2009, Sweden placed again. That was the last year Sweden placed but it has maintained its presence in Miss Universe though.
The challenge to Ida Ovmar is to put back Sweden at least in the quarter-finals.
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6
INDIA
22 PLACEMENTS
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Before India enjoyed its glorious years in the ‘90s to early 2000’s, it recorded it longest drought of 15 years (from 1975 to 1989). With its 11 years placement streak from 1990 to 2002, India ranks 6 in terms of total number of placements (22 years).
This year’s representative, Roshmita Harimurthy has a very long shot to the crown. Her beauty is not topnotch as Sushmita or Lara or the stunning beauty we used to see from this subcontinent. But who knows? The challenge for her is to put back India in the plate, after clapping last year.
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7
GERMANY
21 PLACEMENTS
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This great country was a staple sash in the semi-finals in the first 2 decades of Miss Universe. It has a total of 21 placements, with a 10-year streak that happened in the first 10 years of the contest. Germany started to wane in the mid-80’s. Since 1985, it only placed twice (1989 & 2002).
If Johanna Acs will not place this year, then their longest drought will become 14 years.
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8
SOUTH AFRICA
21 PLACEMENTS
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This nation is the lone African country that has placed more than 10 years in Miss Universe. It has a whooping record of 21 placements, but only a successive placement of 3 years as the longest (in many occasions). If South Africa did not stop participating from 1969 to 1974, its DROUGHT could have been cut-short, instead of 12 years.
Ntandoyenkosi Kunene’s main goal this year is to keep another streak going after the country's placement last year since 2012. Tough for her, after clapping in MW 2016.
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9
PHILIPPINES
20 PLACEMENTS
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The Philippine archipelago does really well in Miss Universe. In the past, it would always place every 5 to 7 years until the longest drought of 10 years from 2000 to 2009. Many crazy fans from India, Thailand and Puerto Rico make this a laughing issue about the Philippines. But these fans don’t realize that their respective countries/territory actually had longer years of clapping in succession.LOL!
Philippines is currently enjoying its longest streak of placement in Miss Universe, that number will definitely increase by 1 this year with Maxine Medina, being the host candidate.
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10
ISRAEL
20 PLACEMENTS
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Israel did have a glorious year from mid-50’s to the late ‘70s where it took its lone victory in 1976. In that period, Israel managed to record a 6-year placement streak; but it followed afterwards a 22-year DROUGHT that was only broken in 2001.
The challenge to Yam Kaspers is to end the on-going 10-year clapping spree of her country.
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PUERTO RICO
20 PLACEMENTS
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This US territory is actually number 11 in the list, but since its total number of placement is the same as Israel and the Philippines, I added it for recognition. This island is one of the successful participating territories in Miss Universe with 5 crowns! Its association with the US must have played a great part in these victories (3 of which were won on US soil and 1 in Puerto Rico itself). With a total of 20 placements like Israel and the Philippines; however, the island territory has shorter streaks and longer drought. The drought happened in the first 2 decades when plastic surgery was still unknown in pageantry.
The big challenge for Brenda Azaria is to stop the on-going drought (from 2014 to present) by the island.